Riss in Boots Jr 

In Fairyland 
- by David Cory" 



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PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 
IN FAIRYLAND 


Books by 

DAVID CORY 

THE ADVENTURES OF PUSS IN BOOTS. Jr. 
FURTHER ADVENTURES OF PUSS IN BOOTS, Jr. 
PUSS IN BOOTS, Jr. IN FAIRYLAND 
TRAVELS OF PUSS IN BOOTS, Jr. 


HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK 
[Established 1817 ] 


Riss inBoots Jr. 



TWILIGHT TALES . 
Harper Si Brothers.PuUishers 




1 


MAV 27 1918 


Puss IN Boots, jr. in Fairyland 

Copyright, 1918, by Harper & Brothers 
Printed in the United States of America 
Published May, 1918 

E-S 


©CI.A4&9 180 


f 


CONTENTS 


page 

The Magic Rug 1 

Across the River Dee 4 

Circus Friends 7 

The Contented Pig 10 

Puss Buys a Sun bonnet 13 

A Letter from Home 15 

The Frog King 18 

The Diamond Pin 22 

Little Red Riding-hood 26 

PiGGiE Porker 29 

Thundervoice 31 

Puss Relates an Adventure 34 

Dickory, Dickory Dare 37 

Lullabys 40 

Dapple Gray 43 

The Neat Little Clock 46 

The Moon Cow 49 

The ABC School 51 

Fairy-land 53 

The Golden Apples 56 

The Magic Gold Ring 59 

The Tremendous Giant 62 

The Fortune-teller 65 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Puss Makes a Rescue 68 

The Water Sprite 71 

The Three Bears 74 

The Frog King 77 

The Snake Prince 80 

Back to Mother Goose Land 83 

The Sandman 86 

“Fortunes Are Never Found” 89 

Bramble-bush Town 92 

“Sing a Song of Sixpence” 95 

The Little Old Man of the Wood 97 

Flower Country 100 

Sir Launcelot 103 

Puss Gives the Signal 106 

The Porter Wakes Up 109 

The Escape 112 

The Dungeon 115 

The Great Egg 118 

The Fairy Dance 121 

The Airship 124 

The Wicked Spider 127 

The Little Black Man 130 

The Herdsman’s Cottage 133 

Puss Meets Cinderella Again 136 

The Wedding 139 

The Terrible Dragon 142 

The Wonderful Musician 145 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 
IN FAIRYLAND 




PUSS IN BOOTS, JR. 
IN FAIRY-LAND 


THE MAGIC RUG 



'ELL, as the Magic Rug sailed on and 
on, as I mentioned in the story-book 
before this, Puss said to the funny 
little man who was the owner of the 
rug, you remember: 

“Where are we going?” 

“Just wait and see,” replied the funny little man, 
who, by the way, had a red turban on his head and a 
long pipe in his mouth. And the smoke that came out 
of the pipe made it almost seem to Puss as if he were 
on a train of cars, with an engine puffing and snorting 
in the front. 

“Yes, you just wait and see,” the funny little man 
repeated. “If we always knew where we were going 
there’d be very little fun in going sometimes.” Well, 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 



after a while they came to a big city with tall spires 
with great big immense bells, and carved lions and 
horses in the squares where fountains spouted and 
bands played. 

And pretty soon after that the Magic Rug came 


down to the sidewalk as gently as you please and Puss 
jumped off and stretched his legs, for he had sat 
cross-legged all the while, you know, just like a Turk, 
and so had the funny little man. 

“This is Babylon,” said the owner of the Magic 
Rug. “You are in a strange city. Sir Cat. And 
Mother Goose Country is many miles away.” 

And just then a parrot in a great big gold cage began 
to sing: 


THE MAGIC RUG 


“Over the hills and over the sea 
The Magic Rug has brought you to me, 

I am the Parrot that talks like a man, 

So hark to the language I speak, if you can. 

Polly wants crackers, and maybe some cheese. 

So pass the refreshments at once, if you please.** 

But of course Puss didn’t have anything to eat 
with him, so he stepped into a little shop near by and 
bought some sweet crackers and cheese, and the 
Parrot was so delighted that she gave him a blue 
feather out of her tail to put in his cap. 

And after that the funny little man rolled up his 
Magic Rug and placed it under his arm. “Now come 
with me,** he said to Puss, “and you shall see the 
loveliest princess in the world.** So Puss followed, and 
by and by they came to a castle with great high gates, 
and when the funny little man touched them with the 
fringe of his Magic Rug they swung open. So he and 
Puss walked in, and the first thing they saw were two 
beautiful peacocks with tails like fans. 

“What is your errand?** asked the larger peacock, 
and he fanned his tail back and forth till Puss, Junior’s, 
hat nearly blew off. 

“I would take my friend. Puss in Boots, Junior, to 
see the beautiful princess,” replied the funny little 
man. 

And in the story after this you shall hear what 
happened next. 


ACROSS THE RIVER DEE 



H, this is the son of the famous Puss in Boots,” 


said the peacock, who, you remember, in the 
last story guarded the gates of the castle where lived 
the beautiful princess. 

“I think the princess is on her throne this very 
minute, so if you make haste you will see her,” and 
the peacock beckoned to Puss and the funny little 
man, who still had his Magic Rug under his arm, 
and let me say right here that it was a very lucky 
thing that he didn’t let go of it, for something hap- 
pened very soon. But, there, I’m getting ahead of 
my story. 

Well, pretty soon they were inside the castle and 
Puss saw seated on a throne the lovely princess, and 
when she saw Puss she jumped down and ran toward 
him. 

“Oh, I’m so glad you came,” she cried, “for I have 
a story-book called Puss in Boots, and now to meet 
his son gives me the greatest of pleasure,” and then 
she made Puss sit up on the throne beside her. 

Well, everything was going along beautifully when, 
all of a sudden, there came a tremendous knocking 


4 


ACROSS THE RIVER DEE 


at the castle doors, and in less time than I can tell it 
to you a crowd of robbers rushed in. And they were 
just about to carry the princess away, when the 
funny little man spread his Magic Rug at her feet 



and whispered, “Stand upon it!” The next moment 
up rose the Magic Rug and sailed out of the great 
open window just behind the throne. And of course 
the robbers set up a great shouting, but they couldn’t 
do anything, for the Magic Rug was soon out of sight 
and far away across the River Dee that separates 
Mother Goose Country from Fairy-land. 

5 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 


“It will be safer for us to return to Mother Goose 
Country,” said the funny little man, “until those 
wicked robbers are caught, for they are bent on mak- 
ing a prisoner of this lovely lady.” But the little 
princess said nothing. I guess she was homesick at the 
thought of leaving her lovely throne. Well, anyway, 
pretty soon the Magic Rug stopped before a lowly 
cottage on a hill where lived a kind shepherd who had 
many sheep. But when he saw such a strange sight as 
three people riding on a rug, he ran into the hut to 
tell his wife. 

“Gracious me!” exclaimed the good woman, 
“am I dreaming 

And then the lovely princess said: “We will not 
harm you. We have but just escaped from a band 
of robbers!” 

“Come into the hut,” said the kind shepherd, 
and Puss and the lovely princess and the funny little 
man went inside. 

Over in one corner of the room was a cradle in 
which the shepherd woman’s baby lay asleep. So the 
lovely princess tiptoed over to the cradle and sang 
this lullaby: 

“Sleep, baby, sleep, 

While daddy tends the sheep 
Beside the gently flowing stream. 

Rest, httle one, and sleep and dream.” 

And in the next story you shall hear what became 
of the lovely princess. 


6 


CIRCUS FRIENDS 



’ELL, after the lovely princess had finished 


T y singing to the shepherd’s baby, as I told you 
in the last story, there came across the meadow the 
clear, sharp note of a horn, and pretty soon a number 
of horsemen rode up. 

“Is the princess here?” asked the leader, for the 
kind shepherd had stepped outside on hearing them 
approach. 

“Yes, she is inside,” he replied, with a low bow. 

And then the princess herself came to the door, and 
when she saw them, she cried with delight, “Brother 
mine, where did you come from?” For the tall, hand- 
some leader was her brother, you see, and had a 
beautiful kingdom in Mother Goose Country. And 
after that he took her on his horse and rode away. 
And then the funny little man seated himself on his 
Magic Rug and flew away, so that Puss was left all 
alone with the kind shepherd and his wife. 

Well, after a while Puss said good-by and continued 
his journey of adventure, and as he trudged along he 
came to a great circus tent in a big field. The band 
was playing and the flags flying, and now and then the 


2 


7 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY LAND 


roar of the wild animals came down the wind. But 
that didn’t frighten Puss. For don’t you remember 
he once belonged to a circus? Of course you do. 
And would yoii believe it, as soon as he got close 
enough to the tent he saw his old friend the Circus 
Clown standing outside talking to the Circus Queen. 

“Come right into the tent and see your big white 
horse,” she cried, catching Puss by the paw and 
dragging him into the tan-bark ring. And there stood 
the big white horse, and when he saw Puss, Junior, he 
whinnied and neighed, and then he began to talk. 
Yes, sir, he did! And the first thing he said was, 
“Get on my back, little comrade, and take a turn 
around the ring, for it seems like old times again.” 
And Puss jumped on his back and stood first on one 
leg and then on the other, and rode around and around 
just as if he had been doing that sort of thing all his 
life. And you should have heard the people cry out 
“Bravo!” which means “Splendid!” you know, for 
the tent was just full of people who had paid fifty 
cents to see the show and a lot of nickels to drink 
lemonade and eat peanuts. 

And when it was all over. Puss sat down on a bench 
outside the tent and told the Circus People all that had 
happened to him since he last saw them. And after 
that the Twinkle, Twinkle Star came out and shone 
down on a little side tent where the Circus Queen’s 
baby was asleep.* And then the Clown came and stood 
by the door and looked in, for he was its father, you 
know, and while Puss and the Circus Queen tiptoed 
8 


CIRCUS FRIENDS 

inside, the Twinkle, Twinkle Star began singing this 
little song: 

“Sleep, little baby in the white tent. 

Your mother is Queen of the show. 

But she doesn’t care for any one there 
As much as your little pink toe. 

Your little red mouth she loves best, I know. 

Than all the applause in the big circus show.” 

And then she leaned over the cradle and said, 
“ Some day, littlest boy, you’ll grow up to be a funny 
clown like your father, and you’ll paint, your face 
white with big red marks on both cheeks, but I’ll love 
you just as much. Oh, yes, I will!” 

Then Puss, Junior, cuddled up on a big pillow and 
went to sleep, and in the morning the baby, laughing 
and cooing, awoke him. And would you believe it, the 
baby wanted to play with him all day, and cried when 
he went out of the tent. So you see how fond every- 
body is of Puss in Boots, Junior, even the little babies 
who can only say goo-goo and double up their fists, 
and sometimes cry — but the good ones only cry when 
they are hungry, so I’m told by all loving mothers. 

“Won’t you stay with us and ride the big white 
horse.?” asked the Circus Clown the next morning. 
But Puss said, “No, I must be on my way, for I have 
got the wanderlust,” which means the love of wander- 
ing from place to place. So the Circus People gave 
Puss the big white horse to ride away on. 

In the next story you shall hear some more ad- 
ventures which befell little Puss, Junior. 

9 


THE CONTENTED PIG 


AS Puss, Junior, rode along on the big white circus 
AM. horse he came across a little girl who was cry- 
ing bitterly. At first he thought she was little Bo- 
Peep, but just then that little yellow bird whose 
name I*m going to tell you some day commenced 
singing: 

“Little Bo-Polly has lost her dolly. 

And cannot tell where to find her: 

Let her alone and she’ll come home 
With her two little braids behind her. 

“Little Bo-Polly was very jolly 
Until she lost her pet. 

Then what could she do but cry boo-hoo 
Till her pretty blue eyes were wet? 

“Then back she went on finding bent 
Her precious little token. 

She found her, indeed, but it made her heart bleed, 
For dolly’s leg was broken. 

“She gave a sigh and wiped her eye, 

And ran till her journey was ended, 

And tried best she could, as a little girl should. 

To have poor dolly’s leg mended. 

10 


THE CONTENTED PIG 


“To the doctor next day she took dolly straightway. 
Who easily mended her limb. 

And then after that she bought dolly a hat 
With blue ribbon bound round the brim.** 

“I am always forgetting that this is New Mother 
Goose Land,’* said Puss, and then he turned to the 



little girl and told her not to cry any more, but do 
just as the little yellow bird said, which made the 
little girl feel ever so much better. 

And I guess she did, for I heard afterward that 
dolly was as good as new and that little Bo-Polly was 
as happy as could be. 

“Where shall we go now, my good circus horse.?” 
asked Puss, Junior, and the faithful animal replied: 
“I will carry you, little master, to yonder town. 

Do you not see the church spire rising above the tree- 
11 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 


tops?” So by and by they came to a village where the 
blacksmith put a new shoe on the circus horse and 
the cobbler a heel on Puss, Junior’s, left boot, for it 
had come off the day before. And while they stood 
outside the cobbler’s shop who should come by but 
the Pig Without a Wig, the pig, you remember, whom 
Puss had met on the way to Zenner. And when he 
saw the little hero he took off his silk hat and bowed, 
and do you know, he wasn’t bald any more. No, sirree ! 
He had a lot of lovely hair on the top of his head and 
he told Puss that ever since the day he had moved 
to New Mother Goose Country he had to have his 
hair cut twice a week. Wasn’t that curious? It only 
goes to show what a change in climate will do for a 
pig- 

“Are you happy?” asked Puss, for he had grown 
wise enough to know that happiness is everything 
in this world. 

“Well, I should say so,” replied the pig, placing his 
silk hat carefully on his head and winking at the 
circus horse, who smiled as only a horse can. “Mrs. 
Pig and I have five little pigs and a house in the 
country, and next month I’m going to buy an auto- 
mobile.” 

And in the next story I’ll tell you how happy Puss 
was to meet an old friend. 


PUSS BUYS A SUNBONNET 


“ T DON’T know where I have seen you before/* 

Said a little gray mouse, as she stood in her door. 

“But I’m sure you’re a cat who won’t harm a mouse 

Who lives all alone in her little green house.” 

“No indeed,” laughed Puss, Junior. It was early 
morning and he was riding along on his circus horse. 
In fact, he had been riding all night, only he had been 
asleep all that time, for he had closed his eyes when the 
Whip-po’-will sang her song about the little white 
cloud with its soft white breast that went to sleep on 
the mountain’s crest. 

“Well, I’m glad to hear you say that,” said the 
little mouse, “and now, when I look at your red-top 
boots and your good circus horse, I think I recall the 
time when you chased me over the meadow one day, 
oh, so long ago, and I ran into a hollow log to hide.” 

‘ So you did,” laughed Puss. “ Let me see your tail.” 

‘I haven’t any,” replied the little mouse. “The 
farmer’s wife with her carving-knife cut it off a long 
time ago.” 

“Oh yes, I remember it all now,” said little Puss, 
Junior. “It was at the farm where the Cackle, 
Cackle Hen laid nice eggs for' gentlemen, and gentle- 
men came every day to see the eggs she’d laid away.” 

13 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 


“That’s the place,” said the little mouse as she 
closed the door to her little green house and ran 
underneath the good circus horse, who whinnied and 
gave his head a toss. 

“Whoa, there!” cried Puss. “Don’t jump or you’ll 
throw me out of the saddle.” 

“Sorry, little master,” replied his faithful steed, 
“but that little mouse makes me nervous. She 
might tickle my leg.” But he needn’t have been 
afraid, for the little mouse had run across the road 
4nd was sitting up on the fence rail, looking out from 
under her pink sunbonnet at Puss, Junior. 

“ Can I do anything for you?” he asked. “ I must be 
going, but if you are in need of anything let me know.” 

“You’re very kind,” she replied. “If you come to 
a shop where they keep sunbonnets, won’t you send 
me one, for mine has a hole in the top and the sun 
strikes through and gives me a headache.” 

“I will gladly do so,” replied Puss, and then he 
lifted his cap and rode away, and by and by he came 
to a millinery shop, so he went in and looked over the 
sunbonnets. 

“That pink one with the yellow dots is the one I 
like best,” he said, and he ordered it to be sent to 
“Miss Mouse, Green House by the Roadside.” And 
the big fat duck who owned the shop smiled and said, 
“This is the first time I remember a gentleman cat 
sending a sunbonnet to a mouse.” 

And in the next story if that sunbonnet doesn’t fit 
little Miss Mouse I’ll send her another. 

U 


A LETTER FROM HOME 


W ELL, the sunbonnet did fit little Miss Mouse, 
so I didn’t have to send her another, as I 
said I might in the last story. So Puss, Junior, con- 
tinued his journey and by and by as he jogged along 
on his circus horse a Carrier Pigeon flew up and gave 
him a letter. 

And on the envelope was written in his father’s 
handwriting, “Master Puss in Boots, Junior, Some- 
where, New Mother Goose Land.” 

“Whoa!” cried our little traveler. “Let’s rest a 
moment beneath these shady trees while I read this 
letter from my dear father.” Then the Carrier 
Pigeon settled herself on a branch overhead and the 
circus horse nibbled the green grass while Puss, Junior, 
opened the envelope and read; 

My Dear, Dear Son: 

This is to tell you that I am well, but miss you. When 
you have seen the world remember that home is here and 
your father waiting for his little Puss, Junior. 

Affectionately, 

Father Puss in Boots. 


15 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 


“It is good to hear from home,” sighed the small 
traveler, and he put the letter back into the envelope 
and placed it in the pocket of his coat. And after 
that he set off once more upon his journey, and by 
and by he came to a big hollow tree in which lived a 
little dwarf who earned his living by gathering poppies 
and selling them to people who couldn’t sleep at night. 
Of course they were grown-up people, for children 
never have any trouble about sleeping, for the kind 
Sandman who always comes at night-time sees to 
that, you know. 

“Helloa, Sir Cat!” cried the dwarf. “Do you sleep 
at night? For if you don’t, I will sell you a big red 
poppy, and you know that poppies make people 
sleep.” 

“Do they make one dream?” asked little Puss, 
Junior. 

“Yes, indeed, my good Sir Cat,” answered the 
dwarf, picking a poppy out of his basket and handing 
it to the little traveler. “This poppy will give you a 
wonderful dream. Smell its perfume when you go to 
bed to-night and you will dream of wonderful things.” 

“Thank you,” said Puss, taking the flower and 
placing it in his buttonhole. “I will do as you say 
when evening comes. Until then, may I sit down by 
you and rest?” And then he told the dwarf all about 
his adventure, and when he had finished it was evening. 
So he curled up on some dry leaves with the big red 
poppy close beside him and had a wonderful dream. 
Now it really wasn’t the poppy that brought the 
16 


A LETTER FROM HOME 


dream to Puss. Oh my, no. It was a little bird with 
pink wings and a blue breast. She was called the 
Dream Bird in New Mother Goose Land and she 
always came around just as the Twinkle, Twinkle 
Star was peeping from the sky. And the first thing 
she did was to sing her dream song, and this is the 
way it went : 

“Here’s a little dream for you 
From the bird with breast of blue. 

Listen, while I sing it low. 

While the tiny fireflies glow. 

Close your tired eyes and sleep. 

While the shadows, tiptoe, creep.” 

And then Puss, Junior, dreamed that he was back 
once more with his father, the famous Puss in Boots, 
in the castle of my Lord of Carabas, and he was fishing 
in the moat for little minnows, and he was just about 
to pull one out and eat it when he awoke with a 
start to find it was morning and that he was far, far 
away. So he rubbed his eyes and pulled on his red- 
top boots and stood up. And the big red poppy which 
he had fastened in his buttonhole was faded and 
didn’t look pretty any more, so he threw it away and 
started off on foot to find his breakfast, for the big 
circus horse had gone back to the circus. 


THE FROG KING 

W ELL, the next morning, as soon as Puss, Junior, 
threw away the dream poppy flower, he saw 
Mother Goose on her Gander flying through the air. 
And by and by she came nearer and nearer and 
pretty soon the Gander flew down to the ground. 

“Good morning. Mother Goose,’’ said Puss, Junior, 
and he was so delighted to meet her again that he 
almost forgot to take off his hat. 

“ ’Tis hard traveling by foot,” said old Mother 
Goose, kindly. “Won’t you ride with me on my fast 
Gander over this high mountain 

“Is there room to spare?” asked Puss, politely. 
“Yes, indeed, my little cat. He has a broad back 
and a stout pair of wings.” And then Mother Goose 
began to croon: 

“Old Mother Goose, when she wishes to fly. 

Rides her gander over the sky. 

Through the white elouds and the sunbeams and rain, 
Fast as a comet and swift as a train. 

Over the steeples and over the trees. 

And over the mountains as safe as you please.” 

18 


THE FROG KING 


And would you believe it, when she finished singing 
they had crossed over the great high mountain. 

So he thanked Mother Goose and set off through 
the woods, and by and by he came to a deep pool 
under a great oak-tree. But he didn’t know that a 
Frog King lived in it. No, sirree. And perhaps it 
was just as well that he didn’t, for the Frog King 
didn’t like cats at all. 

Well, as Puss, Junior, was tired and thirsty, he 
drank the cool water and then lay down to rest. 
And then, all of a sudden, a voice began singing in a 
deep, croaky way: 

“I’m king of this pool. 

And my throne’s a footstool. 

And my subjects are queer little frogs; 

But remember this thing, 

While I croakingly sing, 

You’ll never get out of these bogs.” 

And the Frog King looked at Puss with a very 
ugly grin, for he wasn’t a nice kind of a frog at all. 
But Puss wasn’t the least bit frightened. No, indeed, 
for he had been in dangerous places many times 
before; so he turned to the frog and said, bravely; 

“Would you harm the son of the famous Puss in 
Boots 

And when the Frog King heard this he nearly fell 
off his toadstool throne and his crown dropped into 
the pool with a big splash, and then he gave a great, 

big, mournful croak. “Oh, gracious me, and, oh, woe 
19 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY LAND 

is me!” You see, as long as he had his crown on his 
head he was a king, but just as soon as he didn’t, why, 
of course, he was just an ordinary kind of a frog and 
nobody feared him. 

So he jumped into the water and dived down to 
the bottom of the deep black pool. And all this time 
Puss, Junior, stood there looking at him and the big 
circle in the water which the frog had made when 
he jumped in. 

Well, by and by, he came to the surface, but with- 
out his crown. And he was very unhappy, for he 
knew that nobody would believe he was a king any 
more. So he turned to Puss, Junior, and asked him to 
get it for him. 

“Why should I do that for you?” asked the little 
traveler. “ Only a few minutes ago you looked at me 
with a grin and said that I’d never get out of this 
bog.’’ 

“I’ll promise to show you a safe path if you’ll 
only get my crown for me,” croaked the Frog King, 
sadly. 

And just then a Silver Trout swam up and said: 
“I’ll get the crown for you, Sir Cat, for my cousin, 
who lives in the moat at the castle of my Lord of 
Carabas, is very fond of your famous father. Puss in 
Boots.” And with these words the Silver Trout dis- 
appeared below the surface, and returned shortly with 
the Frog King’s crown in his mouth. 

And wasn’t the Frog happy. Well, you should have 
seen him. He danced around and sang this song: 

20 


THE FROG KING 

“Oh, I’m as happy as can be. 

For I’m a king once more. 

To be an ordinary frog 
Would be an awful bore. 

You’d never guess the dreadful pain 
That smote my kingly heart 
When in the depths of this deep pool 
I saw my crown depart.** 

And after that he said, “Come with me and I’ll 
show you a safe way out of this bog,** and then he 
hopped away, and Puss, Junior, after him, and by and 
by they came to the King’s Highway. 

“Keep to this road until you come to a high hill, 
and then ask a little Red Ant who lives by the stone 
wall which way to turn. Good luck and a safe journey 
to you,” and with these parting words the Frog King 
turned home, after taking off his crown and bowing 
most politely to the little traveler. 

“Well, he was a most obliging king,” said Puss, 
Junior, to himself, “very obliging, especially consider- 
ing he was a king, although only a frog,” and away 
went Sir Puss down the road. 

And in the next story I’ll tell you what happened 
when he met the little Red Ant. 


THE DIAMOND PIN 


N OW, when Puss, Junior, came to the foot of the 
great, high hill, he looked all around for the Red 
Ant who the Frog King said would tell him the road 
to Fairy-land. And pretty soon he found her, but 
it took him some time, for she was very small and 
her house was nothing more than a little mound of 
earth with a round hole in the middle for a door. 

“You had better follow the river,’* she said, 
pointing to a silver stream that wound in and 
out among the trees, “for it flows into Fairy-land.” 
And just then who should come by but Goosey, 
Goosey Gander. 

“Come, let us travel together,” said Puss, and this, 
of course, delighted the Gander, for he was dreadfully 
lonely at Dame Trot’s Inn and felt sure she was feed- 
ing him with lots of nice things just to make him 
fat for Christmas. 

So off they started, and the Gander said: “Why 
don’t you ride on my back and I will fly.f^ I’d much 
rather than walk.” Well, as soon as Puss was seated 
on Goosey Gander’s broad back, away he went flying 
through the air almost as swiftly as a swallow and by 
22 


THE DIAMOND PIN 


and by they crossed a meadow where a big silver 
spoon was being chased by a big round dish. 

“Hey diddle diddle. 

The cat and the fiddle; 

The cow jumped over the moon, 

' The little dog laughed to see such sport, 

While the dish ran away with the spoon.” 

And then Puss laughed so hard' that he fell off Goosey 
Gander’s back and hurt his leg. And that silly old 
Goose was so scared that he flew home as fast as he 
could. Well, Puss didn’t know what to do, so he 
tooted on a little tin horn and then up came an old 
dog (Old Dog Tray was his name, I think), and as 
soon as he saw Puss, Junior, he said: ‘T’m the son of 
Old Mother Hubbard’s Dog. Get on my back and 
I’ll carry you to my house in the woods.” 

So Puss climbed up on his back and a little owl 
came along, too, and by and by they came to a little 
dog-house under a big spreading chestnut-tree where 
Old Dog Tray roasted chestnuts and sold them to 
the children in the autumn. 

And pretty soon Puss w^ made very comfortable 
and his sprained leg was bound up in a soft cloth and 
he was given a plate of fish, which he loved more 
than candy or ice-cream. 

“You can stay here as long as you like,” said Old 
Dog Tray, taking out his pipe and smoking it, while 
the little owl hunted around for mice, of which he 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY LAND 


was very fond. But the little mice stayed in their 
hole in the pantry and never came out, so the owl 
had to be contented with a piece of cheese which they 
had left in a funny little round trap because they were 



afraid to pull it out. Weren’t they wise little mice, 
though? Well, I just guess they were. 

But don’t forget that Puss, Junior, loved to travel, 
and a traveler, you know, is ever restless. He wants 
to be going, going all the time, so as soon as his leg 
got well Puss, Junior, thanked Old Dog Tray and set 
24 


THE DIAMOND PIN 


off once more. And the owl went with him, for he 
liked Puss, Junior, and why shouldn’t he? And you 
will know why when I tell you he was the owl who 
went sailing in the beautiful pea-green boat. Yes, 
he was the same little owl who had rescued Puss once 
before from the wicked Giant of the Bean-stalk. And 
I think it’s awfully nice to have Puss, Junior, meet 
all his old friends now and then — don’t you? — for 
who wants to lose a friend? Nobody does, I’m sure. 

Well, Puss, Junior, and the owl traveled on and on 
through the shady wood until they came to a cave 
where there lived a dwarf whose name was Wrinkle 
Face, for his face was just full of wrinkles, although 
his eyes were bright as stars. And when he saw Puss, 
Junior, he laughed a funny little squeaky laugh and 
said, “Puss in Boots, Junior, as sure as I’m a foot 
high,” which was pretty near the truth, for he was just 
thirteen inches, and that’s only one inch more than a 
foot, you know. 

“What can I do for you. Sir Cat?” he asked, vdth a 
wrinkly, crinkly smile, and Puss said he didn’t know. 
So the dwarf said, “ I’ll show you my cave, for it’s full 
of beautiful diamonds and rubies, and if you like me 
perhaps I’ll give you a diamond.” So he took Puss and 
the owl inside his curious cave and gave him a beautiful 
diamond pin, which was very kind of him, I think, 
even if he did have lots and lots of them. 


LITTLE RED RIDING-HOOD 


W ELL, just as Puss, Junior, was placing the 
diamond pin in his tie which the dwarf had 
given him in the last story, you remember, a gruff 
voice called out: 

“I am a robber fierce and bold. 

And I love to steal another man’s gold. 

So give me that beautiful diamond pin 
Or I’ll put you in prison till you grow thin. 

Till you grow thin as a wisp of hay. 

' So hand me that diamond pin, I say.” 

But do you think Puss, Junior, handed that bad 
robber the beautiful diamond pin? No, sirree, he 
didn’t. Instead he drew his sword and said, fiercely: 

“I am the son of Puss in Boots, 

So beware of my sword so bright. 

Be off or I’ll run you through and through. 

For I’m not afraid to fight.” 

And would you believe it, that robber turned and 
fled, he was so frightened, and this made the little 

owl laugh so loud that he lost his voice and couldn’t 

2C 


LITTLE RED RIDING-HOOD 


say a word for a week. And then the little dwarf 
said: “You are indeed a brave cat. Stay with me 
and protect my treasures and I will give you half.” 

But Puss, Junior, replied that he must seek his 
fortune in another way, for, said he, “ I must win my 
treasure and not have it given me.” Which is the 
right way, after all, for who wants to be beholden to 
any man? So off went little Puss, Junior, to seek more 
adventures, leaving the dwarf and the little owl in 
the shady wood. 

And by and by it began to rain, and just then, all 
of a sudden, a little yellow bird began to sing: 

“What do I care for a little rain? 

It washes off each dusty stain; 

It makes my feathers elean and sleek, 

So I can curl them with my beak.” 

And where do you suppose this little bird was? 
Well, you’d never guess, so I will have to tell you. 
He was in a little house close to a forest, and all 
around this little house grew lovely hollyhocks, pink 
and blue and white, and over the front porch climbed 
a rose-vine and in the kitchen garden, along the back 
wall, was a row of sunflowers. And, oh, dear me, 
wasn’t it a pretty spot! And it would have been just 
the sort of place to spend a vacation in if it hadn’t 
been that the little house belonged to a bold, bad 
robber. And wasn’t it strange, he was the same 
robber who tried to steal the diamond pin. 

Every night, when the tall shadows crept into the 
27 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 


forest, he would go out and wait for travelers, and if 
they didn’t give him their money he would take it 
from them whether they liked it or not. 

Now when Puss found this out he was very angry, 
and that very evening he crept out of the house, and 
by and by he heard a scream, and what do you suppose 
was the matter.? Why, the wicked robber had caught 
Little Red Riding-Hood and had taken away her 
basket of good things which she was taking to her 
poor old sick grandmother. 

“Give back that basket,” shouted Puss, “or I will 
run you through with my trusty sword.” And the 
robber was so frightened that he gave the basket to 
Little Red Riding-Hood, and Puss, Junior, helped her 
carry it to her poor old grandmother. 

Now, her old grandmother was knitting helmets 
for the soldier boys in the war, and when she heard that 
Puss, Junior, was in the house, she wanted to meet him 
at once, for she knew he was the son of the famous 
Puss in Boots. And of course Puss wanted to meet 
her, for he knew that old women always like cats, 
and even if they didn’t, they would like Puss, Junior, 
I am sure, for he was a wonderful cat, as you no 
doubt know by this time. 

“I’m very glad to see you,” said the nice old lady, 
and she patted him and said he had lovely red-topped 
boots, which pleased him immensely, and after that 
he went upon his way. 

And in the next story I’ll tell you about a Weather- 
cock who sang a New Mother Goose Melody. 

28 


PIGGIE PORKER 


W ELL, after Puss left Little Red Riding-Hood, 
as I told you in the last story, he trudged 
merrily along, for it was a beautiful bright morning 
and he was feeling very fine, was this little traveler, 
and by and by he came to an old farm. And just 
as he turned the corner of the barn he heard the 
Weathercock on the roof sing this New Mother Goose 
Melody: 

“Georgy Porgy, pudding and pie. 

Teased the piggies in the sty. 

When the mother pig came out 
Georgy quickly turned about.” 

And he would have run into Puss, Junior, if our 
little traveler hadn’t stepped to one side. 

“Helloa! Who are you.?^” asked Georgy Porgy, 
staring at little Puss, Junior’s, red-top boots. 

“A traveler who is thirsty,” he replied. “Can you 
give me a cool drink of water 

So Georgy Porgy led the way to the old well where 
the moss-covered bucket took turns in bringing up 
the water from the cool depths. And then he took 
the tin dipper and filled it and gave Puss a drink. 

29 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 


“I think your red-top boots are beautiful,” said the 
little boy. “Where are you going 

“Oh, I’m a traveler. I go where the winds blow.” 

And just then there came a loud squeaking from the 
sty and Puss saw the head of a small pig looking over 
the side of the pen. 

“Why, it’s Piggie Porker!” cried the little traveler, 
and he lifted the little pig over the fence. 

“Oh, take me away!” he cried. “Georgy Porgy 
teases me all the time.” Now this made Puss, Junior, 
very angry, for he was fond of Piggie Porker, and al- 
though it was a long time since he had rescued him 
from Tom, the Piper’s Son, he hadn’t forgotten him. 
“Come with me,” said Puss, and without another 
word he and the little pig left the farm-yard and 
walked down the shady lane. And as they passed 
through the gate little Robin Red Breast looked down 
from his nest and sang this song: 

“Good-by, Piggie Porker. A pleasant trip to you. 

Hope you meet Red Riding-Hood and Little Boy in Blue. 

Tell them I’ve a little nest in the apple-tree, 

Crowded full of little birds longing to be free. 

When their wings grow strong enough they shall fly away. 

Good-by, Piggie Porker, till we meet some day.” 

% 

And then little Jenny Wren flew by, and a big 
darning-needle — which is a kind of insect, you know, 
only she doesn’t know how to sew — and the Cow that 
Jumped over the Moon looked over the old snake 
fence and said, “ Good-by, Piggie Porker.” 

30 


THUNDERVOICE 


O NE day Puss, Junior, came to a high mountain, 
and as he was tired and thirsty, he looked about 
him for a place to rest and something to drink, and in 
a few minutes he spied a little spring gushing right 
out of a rock. And close by, not a foot away, sat a 
little Fairy dressed in green. “I am the spirit of the 
water,” she cried, waving a silver wand in the air. 

“May I take a drink from your spring.?” asked Puss, 
Junior, politely; but he didn’t drink a drop, for he was 
afraid she might not like it. 

“Of course you may,” she replied, “but only one 
gobletful, and she handed him a beautiful crystal 
glass. And as soon as he had tasted the water his 
weariness left him and he felt refreshed. 

“Now,” said the little Fairy, “don’t you climb up 
that mountain, for on the top lives a Giant whose 
name is Thundervoice, and he’ll scare you to death 
and maybe deafen you.” 

“Never fear, my kind little Fairy,” answered the 
little hero. “I once met the Giant of the Bean-stalk, 
so why should I fear the Giant of the Mountain?” 
And he bowed to the Fairy of the Spring and started 
31 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 


up the mountain. And by and by he heard a dreadful 
noise. The mountain shook and trembled and the 
air rushed by like a hurricane, and the trees bent and 



the grasses shivered, and great pieces of rock tumbled 
down into the valley below. 

“I guess old Thundervoice is talking to himself,” 
said the little hero, with a laugh. Which shows he 
wasn’t afraid, doesn’t it? 

And then who should come in sight but the Giant 
himself? And he was so tall and big that Puss couldn’t 
32 


THUNDERVOICE 


see the top of his head, and neither could the Giant 
unless he looked in his wife’s mitror. 

“Where did you come from, kitten?” asked the 
dreadful big man in a thunderous tone, which almost 
blew off Puss, Junior’s, hat. 

“ I am Puss in Boots, Junior, and you can’t frighten 
me!” 

“Rum, rum! Dum, dum!” yelled the Giant, and 
the feather on little pussy cat’s hat blew off and 
drifted down the wind until it caught on a fir-tree. 
“How dare you speak to me like that? No one ever 
did before and lived to tell the tale!” And he rushed 
at Puss and tried to catch him. But Puss darted 
to one side and drew his sword, and when the Giant 
saw that he laughed again, and said: “You are a 
brave little cat. Come to my castle and I promise 
you no harm shall befall you.” 

So Puss went with him, and when they entered the 
Giant’s home a little gray dove flew out and lighted 
on his shoulder and cooed. And the big Giant stroked 
its pretty feathers so softly that Puss thought to 
himself, “This Giant can’t be so very wicked, after 
all, if he loves that little bird,” and he wasn’t the least 
bit afraid, but sat down on a chair while the Giant 
hung up his great cap on a wooden peg and wound the 
clock. 

And in the next story you shall hear more about 
Puss, Junior, at the Giant’s castle. 


PUSS RELATES AN ADVENTURE 


I N the story before this I left Puss, Junior, in the 
Giant’s castle, you remember, and I’ll tell you 
right now I hated to do it, and if that dear little yellow 
bird hadn’t told me that the Giant was really a very 
kind man I should have been worried to death. 

“Now, what will you have to eat, kitten?” asked 
the Giant, with a grin. 

“Give me a saucer of cream and a piece of fish,” 
said Puss, and he curled his whiskers and flicked a 
piece of dust off his red-topped boots as if he had 
always been used to dining with giants and other big 
people. 

And after supper the Giant took out his great pipe 
and smoked until the air was so cloudy that the little 
dove couldn’t be seen at all. And after a little while 
Puss stroked his whiskers and crossed- his leg, and 
then he commenced to tell one of his adventures: 

“Once upon a time there was a little cat who lived 
in a big white house. And one day he went into the 
garret, and the first thing he saw was a story-book. 
It was a very pretty story-book, and on the cover was 
the picture of a cat with red-topped boots. And the 
34 


PUSS RELATES AN ADVENTURE 


name of the book was Puss in Boots, Well, as soon 
as this little cat saw the picture on the cover he said 
to himself, ‘That must be the portrait of my father, 
for the picture looks very much like me.* So he 



hunted around, and would you believe it, he found a 
pair of boots with red tops and a cane and a hat with 
a long feather in it. So off he started to find his 
father, for he said to himself, ‘If I look just like the 
picture on the cover, why, it will be possible for me 
to find the original of that portrait, and if it turns out 
to be my father how happy I shall be!’ 

“ So off he went, down the road, and by and by he 

met some Mother Goose friends. You see, he was in 

35 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY LAND 


Mother Goose Country, but at first he didn’t know it. 
There was the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, and 
the Jolly Miller who caught a flea upon his pillow, 
and Old Mother Hubbard and her Dog, and Little 
Bo-Peep, and the Cow that Jumped Over the Moon. 
And so many more that I can’t tell them to you now, 
for if I did, my story would never end. 

“Well, by and by, after a little while, he came to a 
town where Wee Willie Winkle put the children to 
sleep. And it was just about dusk as this little cat 
entered the city. And the first thing he saw was a 
small boy in his nightdress running through the 
streets with a candle in his hand. So the little cat 
followed him, and pretty soon Wee Willie Winkle ran 
up the steps in front of a pretty cottage and peeked 
through the keyhole, and then he began to sing : 

“ ‘Time for bed; it’s eight o’ peep. 

Jump in bed and go to sleep. 

Willie Winkle’s at the door; 

He won’t wait a minute more. 

Close your eyes and dream away; 

You’ve been playing all the day.’ 

“And then Wee Willie Winkle ran down the street 
to another house where there were more little boys 
and girls.” 

As Puss finished his story, he looked up, and, 
goodness me! the Giant was snoring, so Puss curled 
himself up and was soon fast asleep, and if he wakes 
up in time to-morrow morning I’ll tell you another 
story about him. 


36 


DICKORY, DICKORY DARE 


Y OU remember in the last story I left Puss fast 
asleep in the Giant’s house. Well, the next 
morning he said good-by and went merrily on his 
way, hoping for a new adventure, and when he had 
gone only a short distance whom should he meet but 
Mother Goose and her Gander, and wasn’t he glad to 
see the dear old lady again! 

“You’re just in time to take a sky ride with me,” 
she said, and then Puss jumped up behind her and 
the Gander flew away, and by and by they met a small 
pig tied by his tail to a big red balloon. And, oh, dear 
me, how that little pig was squeaking! And then, 
all of a sudden: 

Dickory, dickory dare, 

The pig flew up in the air; 

The man in brown soon brought him down, 
Dickory, dickory dare. 

Yes, sir! The man in brown fitted an arrow to his 
bow and punctured a great hole in the red balloon, 
and then, of course, it came tumbling down, and so 
did the little pig. And wasn’t it lucky that there was 
37 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 


a big haystack for him to fall onto? Well, I guess it 
v/as, for if there hadn’t been there would be nothing 
more to write about Piggie except his epitaph. 



“Who tied that poor pig to the balloon?” asked 
Mother Goose, for by this time the Gander had come 
down to the meadow with his two passengers. 

“I think it was Tommy Green,” answered the man 
in brown. 

“I don’t like cruel boys,” said Mother Goose. 

“They generally grow up to be bad men.” 

38 


DICKORY, DICKORY DARE 

“That’s true,” said the man in brown, taking off 
his cap and scratching his head reflectively. 

“And isn’t he the Tommy Green who drowned the 
poor pussy cat in the well?” 

“I think he is,” answered the man in brown, and 
when Tommy Green heard this, he started to run 
away. 

“Stop, stop!” cried Mother Goose. “Why did you 
tie that little pig to your balloon?” 

“I just wanted to see him fly,” answered Tommy 
Green, and he twisted about uneasily, for Mother 
Goose scowled. Oh, my, didn’t she scowl at him! 

“ Supposing a big giant had tied you to a monstrous 
kite,” said the man in brown to Tommy Green. 
“How would you have liked it?” And then he 
pinched that bad boy’s ear to make him remember 
what he said. 

“Will you promise to treat all animals kindly 
hereafter?” said Mother Goose. 

“Yes, ma’am,” said naughty Tommy Green. 

“Then run home and tell your mother that you 
met Mother Goose to-day and that she gave you a 
good scolding for being cruel to a little pig.” 

And in the next story you shall hear how Mother 
Goose and Puss, Junior, went home with the man in 
brown. 


4 


LULLABYS 


W ELL, after the bad boy who had tied the lit- 
tle pig to his balloon had promised Mother 
Goose to be kind to all animals in the future, the 
Gander, who hadn’t spoken a word all this time, said 
to the dear old lady: 

“I feel very tired. I don’t think I can fly another 
mile to-night.” 

“Come home with me,” said the man in brown. 
“I have a cozy house and my wife is a good cook. 
There is enough and to spare for us all.” So Mother 
Goose, Puss, Junior, and the tired Gander followed 
the man in brown, and by and by they came to a neat- 
looking little house. 

“Do you hear her singing.?” he asked, and he 
opened the little white gate very carefully. 

Sleep, baby, sleep; 

Our cottage vale is deep. 

The little lamb is on the green. 

With woolly fleece so soft and clean. 

Sleep, baby, sleep.” 

“My good woman is putting the baby to sleep,” 

said the man in brown. “She sings that selfsame 
40 


LULLABYS 


song to him every evening and he always goes to 
sleep.’* 

“Sleep, baby, sleep, 

Down where the woodbines creep. 

Be always like the lamb so mild, 

A kind and sweet and gentle child. 

Sleep, baby, sleep.” 

“’S-s-sh!” said the man in brown, tiptoeing up the 
steps of the little front porch, over which the honey- 



suckle trailed its perfumed flowers, “Tiptoe so as not 
to wake the baby.” So Puss, Junior, slipped off his 
red-top boots and Mother Goose walked softly on her 
toes and the Gander waddled as gently as he could 
on his big flat pink feet, and while they all crept 
quietly through the hall to the kitchen, the sweet 
voice became lower and lower: 


41 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 


*‘Be always like the lamb so mild, 

A kind and sweet and gentle child. 

Sleep, baby, sleep.” 

The kettle on the kitchen stove was singing its own 
sweet song, and the canary-bird in his gold cage 
whistled softly now and then. 

“Be seated,” said the man in brown. “My good 
woman will be here shortly, for when her voice grows 
soft and low I know the baby has fallen asleep.^' And 
of course he knew, for in a few minutes the good 
woman came tiptoeing into the room. 

“I wish you had only come sooner, so that my little 
one could have met you, dear Mother Goose,” she 
said, and then she turned to Puss, who was sitting on 
a chair with his right leg crossed over his left knee. 
“And here is dear Puss, Junior. We have a story- 
book all about his father, the famous Puss in Boots, 
and then she picked up our little traveler and held 
him on her lap, and sang, oh, so softly: 

“Sleep, little pussy cat, sleep; 

Let the little mouse creep. 

Sleep, little pussy cat, sleep.” 


DAPPLE GRAY 


W HEN Puss woke up the next morning Mother 
Goose had already flown away on her Gander, 
so he started off on foot, and by and by he came to a 
place where the road turned to the right and to the 
left at the same time! Wasn’t that queer? And one 
sign-post said “To Raspberry ville,” and the other 
“To Lollypoptown.” And while he stood wondering 
which way to turn a little Rocking-Horse whose name 
was Dapple Gray came up the road, and when he 
saw Puss, Junior, he said: 

‘T’ra a little Rocking-Horse whose name is Dapple Gray, 
So jump into my saddle and ride a mile away. 

You need not use a whip or lash, for I will go so fast 
You’ll think you’re on a train of cars 
That whiz the stations past.’’ 

And of course Puss jumped into the saddle and 
rode off, down the road to the right until they came 
to a bridge where the tollman charged him a penny 
to cross. 

“Why do you charge a penny?” asked Puss. “It 

seems -to me a farthing is enough.” But the tollman 
43 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY LAND 


said no, and so Puss took out a penny. I suppose they 
charged a penny because he was riding Dapple Gray. 
Don’t you think so? 


Well, by and by, after they had gone for maybe a 
mile or more they came to an old Gander who was 
standing near the road, quacking like a steam radiator 
out of order. 

“Goosey, Goosey Gander, why do you quack?” 

asked Puss, pulling up Dapple Gray until he stood 
44 



DAPPLE GRAY 


on his hind legs and pawed the air with his front 
hoofs. 

“Because I’m sorrowful,” said the old Gander. “I 
made a bad mistake after leaving you.” 

“Tell me about it,” said Puss, and got down from 
his pony and tickled the poor miserable Gander under 
his chin. But even then he wouldn’t smile. 

“Well, you see, I wandered up-stairs, and just as I 
was standing outside my master’s door somebody 
took me by the left leg and threw me down-stairs. 
Were you ever thrown down-stairs. Sir Cat.^^” And the 
poor old Gander looked at Puss as much as to say it 
was an awful thing to have happen to one. 

“Yes, I was,” replied the little traveler. “Cinder- 
ella’s cruel sisters once knocked me down their cellar 
stairs and shut me up in the cellar. That was even 
worse than what happened to you, for I didn’t get 
out for a long time, and, oh, my, it was dark in that 
damp cellar!” 

When the old Gander heard this he brightened up 
a bit. 

“Yes,” went on Puss, seeing he was making the old 
Gander feel better by talking about himself, “ I would 
still be there, I think, if Cinderella hadn’t opened the 
cellar door.” 


THE NEAT LITTLE CLOCK 


O NE fine morning as Puss, Junior, and Goosey, 
Goosey Gander, who had carried him through 
the air for many miles, alighted near a little red 
school-house, they heard the teacher say: 

“There’s a neat little clock. 

In the school-room it stands. 

And it points to the time 
With its two little hands. 

“ And if any scholar 
Is found in disgrace. 

This dear little clock 

With its hands hides its face.” 

And just then the teacher looked up and saw 
little Puss, Junior, and Goosey Gander at the door. 
So the teacher stepped from the platform and walked 
down the aisle in the center of the school-room. 
“How do you do?” he said, but he didn’t ask them 
in. And I’ll tell you the reason. He was the same 
teacher who taught the school that Mary went to, 
46 


THE NEAT LITTLE CLOCK 


and of course you know what happened when she 
took her lamb to school. 

“I cannot ask you in, my friends,” he said, “for 



I’m afraid it will make the children laugh and play, 
and they must study hard to-day, for school-days 
will be over soon, a few weeks off, the first of June!” 
And then one of the boys began to sing: 

47 



PUSS IN BOOTS, JE., IN FAIRY-LAND 


“ Here’s a pussy cat and a goose. 

I’ll study no more, for what’s the use.? 

If cats and geese are coming to school, 

I’ll have fun and break every rule.” 

And up he jumped and threw his spelling-book at 
another boy and hit him on the ear, and, oh, dear me ! 
there was a terrible time in that school-room for the 
next few minutes! The teacher ran back and took 
hold of that boy and shook him by the collar, and 
some of the little girls screamed, and the little clock 
stopped ticking right away and covered its face with 
its hands. I suppose it just couldn’t bear to see such 
a dreadful sight. And then it began to strike, one, 
two, three, four, five, and it wouldn’t stop. Louder 
and louder it struck the time, until the children be- 
came so frightened that they sat perfectly still. 
They didn’t dare whisper, and when it was all quiet 
again the little clock stopped and turned its hands 
back to the right time and began to tick away as 
peacefully as ever. 

Then little Puss, Junior, and Goosey Gander slipped 
away unnoticed, for they were afraid to make a noise 
lest the children should laugh. 


THE MOON COW 


O NE day, as Puss, Junior, was swiftly traveling 
along on Goosey Gander’s back, he saw a pretty 
girl carrying a milk-pail, so he told his feathered 
steed to fly down to the meadow, and then gallant 
little Puss helped the pretty girl carry the milk-pail. 
But as soon as she reached the farm-yard Goosey 
Gander flew up on the roof of the old red barn, for he 
was afraid of the farmer’s big black dog who lived 
in a little house close by. 

“Have you been to the moon lately?” asked the 
pretty farmer’s daughter. “Maybe you saw our 
spotted cow.” 

Puss looked puzzled, for he didn’t know there were 
any cows in the moon. And neither did I, although 
I’ve heard of the Cow who Jumped Over the Moon. 

“Well, listen to me,” said the pretty farmer’s 
daughter, and she began to sing this song: 

“Oh, children dear, you have heard the tale 
Of the cow that jumped over the moon. 

But you’ve never heard how that bovine bird. 

As the dish ran away with the spoon. 

Was caught by the Man in the Moon. 

49 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY LAND 


“Well, just as she flew o’er its silver top 
The Man with a big lassoo 
Leaned over the brim where the sky was dim 
And threw it around her shoe, 

S6 what could the poor cow do.^ 

“And since that night when the moon is bright 
You can see the Milky Way, 

Which the big Moon Man with his milking-can 
Has sprinkled with curds and whey. 

All wrinkled and crinkled like spray. 

“Oh, the little stars blink and they twinkle and drink. 
And the old cow gives a moo. 

As the Man in the Moon with his silver spoon 
Travels the whole sky through. 

Sprinkling the milky dew.” 

And then the farmer’s daughter sighed, for she was 
very fond of the spotted cow, and of course she didn’t 
believe the Man in the Moon would ever let her- come 
back, for how was he to make green cheese without 
milk and cream? 

“The last time I saw the Cow that Jumped Over the 
Moon,” said little Puss, Junior, “she had the rheuma- 
tism and could only dance a little bit. She didn’t 
dare try to jump over the moon, although the cat 
played on the fiddle and the little dog barked and the 
dish ran away with the spoon just as they did the 
first time. But of course this is New Mother Goose 
Land and everything here is so different, even Mother 
Goose Rhymes.” After that he said good-by to his 
faithful comrade Goosey, Goosey Gander, who had 
to go to Mrs. Goose and the little goslings. 

50 


THE ABC SCHOOL 


I 


I WONDER,” sighed little Puss, Junior, to him- 
self as he trudged merrily along a dusty road 
in New Mother Goose Land, “how much farther I 
shall have to go before I find the way to Fairy-land?” 
And the little traveler sighed again as he curled his 
whiskers and shifted his hat to the back of his head. 
“Whew! I’m hot!” 

“Well, it’s a very warm day,” cried a voice close at 
hand, and Puss, Junior, turned and saw a small boy 
with his school-books on his arm. 

“A diller, a dollar. 

An eight-o’clock scholar. 

^What makes you come so late? 

You used to come at ten o’clock. 

But now you come at eight,” 

sang a little bird, but who the little bird is I’ll tell you 
in another story, for I don’t know his name. But I’ll 
find out, I promise you. 

“Helloa, Puss, Junior!” cried the little boy. “I 
remember you — oh, a long time ago! It was in Old 
Mother Goose Country, and you came to our school- 
house the day Mary’s little lamb made the children 
laugh and play.” 


51 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 


“What’s your name?” asked Puss, for to tell the 
truth he didn’t remember the small boy in the least. 

“Little Tommy Tucker, who sings for his supper,” 
and then he sat down on a stone and undid his book- 
strap. And then he pulled out a book, and what do 
you think was the name of it? Why, Old Mother 
Goose Nursery Rhymes, And when Puss saw that he 
sat down beside the little boy to read the dear old 
nursery rhymes over again, for he Tyas fond of them, 
oh, my, yes! just the way every little boy and girl 
is, and grown-up folks, too. And the little bird 
perched himself on the top of the book and sang a 
little song, and this is the way it went: 

“A boy and a cat with a feather in his hat 
Sat down hy the road to read a book, 

And a little yellow bird, whose name you haven’t heard. 
Perched himself on the cover so he could have a look. 

“Oh, don’t you hear the bell of the school-house in the dell 
Ringing out its merry ding, ding, dong? 

Little boy, you’d better be a-saying A, B, C. 

You must hurry or you’ll disobey my song.” 

And then, of course, the little boy jumped up and 
ran to school as fast as he could, and the little bird 
smiled — because little birds can, you know — and after 
that he said good-by to Puss, Junior, who set out to 
find the road to Fairy-land. He had lost his way in 
New Mother Goose Land. But please don’t let this 
worry you, for I shall tell you soon, although I sha’n’t 
promise to in the next story, how he finds the Fairy- 
land we all love. * 


52 


FAIRY-LAND 


O NE bright morning, as Puss, Junior, was traveling 
through a deep forest he came to a wide river, 
and as he stood on the bank, wondering how he was 
to cross, a blue-breasted pigeon flew up and said: 
“Master Puss, Junior, across this river is Fairy-land. 
Would you visit this land of dreamy fancies.?” 

“I would indeed,” he replied. “I have traveled 
long in Mother Goose Country. Let me see Fairy- 
land before I return to my father’s castle.” 

“You shall have your wish,” replied the blue- 
breasted pigeon, and she whistled a tune and pretty 
soon a little boat drew up to the bank in which were 
four snow-white ducks with gold oars. 

“Jump in and they will row you over to the other 
side,” said the blue-breasted pigeon, and then she 
flew away. 

So Puss did as he was told, and after the little boat 
was well out in the middle of the stream one of the 
snow-white ducks said to him: 

“Have you never been in Fairy-land, Sir Cat?” 
“Just over the border once upon a time, not so very 

long ago,” replied Puss. “I remember I crossed a 
53 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 


gingerbread bridge and went into a forest where a 
wacked witch lived in a gingerbread house.’* 

“Ah,” said the snow-white duck, “ ’twas the witch 
who made prisoners of Hansel and Gretel ” 



“The very same,” answered Puss. “But tell me, 
is Fairy-land really a place of dreams?” 

“Not at all,” said the snow-white duck, and he 
54 


FAIRY-LAND 


feathered his oar like an old sailor; and if you don’t 
know what “feathering” an oar is, just ask any old 
sailor on the dock and he’ll tell you. “Fairy-land 
is as real as any land, only many people don’t know 
the way there.” And then he bent to his oar and so 
did the three other ducks, and pretty soon they landed 
the little boat on the beach. 

“Here is a gold feather,” said the same snow-white 
duck, and he searched among his tail feathers until 
he found a gold one, and you may well believe it was 
well hidden, for Puss hadn’t noticed it before. “Take 
this gold feather and place it in your cap and it will 
keep you from harm.” 

“What shall I give you in return.?” said Puss. 

“Have you a story-book.?” asked the snow-white 
duck. “My comrades and I often have long waits 
before a traveler appears.” And would you believe 
it. Puss had a book all about himself in his knapsack. 
“Here is a little book,” said he, and he handed to the 
snow-white duck The Adventures of Puss in Boots, 
Junior, and then that duck sat right down in the 
boat and read it all through to his comrades, and when 
he reached the end Puss was far away upon his first 
trip into Fairy-land. 

Well, by and by he came to a stately castle built 
upon a high rock, so Puss mounted the stone steps 
that were hewn in the gray granite, and after a while, 
not so very far, he reached the postern gate. 

And in the next story you shall hear who was the 
owner of the castle and what happened to Puss. 

5 55 


THE GOLDEN APPLES 


N OW in the story before this I left little Puss, 
Junior, knocking upon the gate of a stately 
castle. Well, after he had knocked three times it was 
opened and the porter said: 

“What do you wish. Sir Cat?” for when he saw the 
golden feather in our little traveler’s cap he thought 
Puss was of royal blood. 

“I am seeking adventure,” replied Puss, Junior. 
“Is the lord of this castle within?” 

“He is, indeed,” replied the porter, “but at the 
moment he is much disturbed,” and then, all of a 
sudden, the lord himself appeared. 

“Another of my golden apples has been stolen,” 
he cried, and then he looked at Puss. 

“Well, I’m glad I have only just arrived,” said 
Puss, with a grin, “otherwise you might think I was 
the thief.” 

“No, indeed,” said the lord of the castle, “I 
should never think that. But, come with me to my 
orchard, and I will show you my wonderful golden 
apples.” 

“I once saw a tree that bore silver fruit,” said Puss. 
56 


THE GOLDEN APPLES 


“Do you remember the tree that grew in the yard of 
Little Two-Eyes?’* 

But the lord of the castle was too intent upon 
counting the golden apples upon his trees to reply. 



So Puss didn’t repeat his question, but walked under 
one of the trees, and, would you believe it? an apple 
on a low-hanging bow fell off and stuck on the golden 
57 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY LAND 


feather in Puss, Junior’s, cap. And when the lord 
of the castle saw this he was so surprised that he 
didn’t know what to do. 

And then Puss said to him, “My lord, let me 
watch in your orchard to-m’ght and maybe I will find 
who it is that steals your golden fruit.” 

So when evening came Puss seated himself in a dark 
corner and waited, and by and by, when the moon 
was full and the sky bright with stars, he heard a 
flutter of wings and a beautiful silver-feathered bird 
flew into a tree and plucked off a golden apple. 

“Stop! stop!” cried Puss, and he waved the golden 
feather which he had taken from his cap, and when 
the silver bird saw that golden feather, which shone 
like a flame, it was so dazzling, she dropped the 
golden apple. And then she sank to the ground, for 
her wings would not carry her farther. 

“Do not kill me. Sir Cat!” she cried. “Your 
golden feather burns like fire. I will promise to steal 
no more apples.” 

“Will you bring back the one you stole last night?” 
asked Puss, and the bird replied, “Surely I will, if 
you take away your golden feather, for it blinds my 
eyes.” 

So Puss hid his feather under his coat and pretty 
soon the silver bird flew away, and by and by she 
returned, bringing in her beak the stolen apple. 

And in the next story you shall hear what the lord 
of the castle did for Puss. 


THE MAGIC GOLD RING 


N OW the lord of the castle was so pleased when 
Puss gave him the golden apple that was stolen 
by the silver bird, aS I told you in the last story, that 
he presented Puss, Junior, with a snow-white horse. 
And after that Puss rode away, down the steep path 
from the castle, until he came to a green meadow; 
and as his horse was thirsty, he let him drink in the 
little stream that flowed by, and while he stood there, 
resting the reins upon his horse’s neck, a little fairy 
dressed all in green suddenly appeared from beneath 
a buttercup and said to him : 

“Did you say to the blue-breasted pigeon that 
Fairy-land was only a dream country.?^” 

“Not exactly,” replied Puss, “I asked her if there 
was really a Fairy-land.” 

“Well, now you have seen it for yourself,” said the 
little fairy. “But come with me, for I would show 
you the Fairy Glade in yonder wood.” And then she 
flew up and sat beside Puss, for she had little wings of 
gauze, you know, and could fly as well as any bird. 
Well, by and by, they came to a lovely spot in the 
woods where a band of fairies were dancing in a ring, 
59 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY LAND 


in the center of which was a throne made all of roses. 
And in the midst of the lovely flowers sat the Queen 
of the fairies, and she was very beautiful, and when 
she saw Puss, Junior, she waved her wand and all 



her little subjects stopped dancing and stood around 
him. 

And do you know, when she waved her wand that 
Puss and his snow-white horse grew smaller and 
smaller until they were no larger than the little fairies 
themselves. But Puss didn’t feel himself grow small. 
No, indeed. He didn’t even know he was so little, 
60 


THE MAGIC GOLD RING 


and he jumped off his horse and bowed very low before 
the lovely fairy Queen. 

“Ah, my noble Sir Cat,” she said, “I see you wear 
the golden feather.” And then Puss related to her 
how he had got it, and then he told her how much 
he wished to see all of Fairy-land. 

“I will help you,” she said. “You must beware of 
ogres and giants, for they are cruel. Here is a little 
ring. Wear it; and when you are in trouble turn it 
three times round your finger and I will send you aid.” 

And then she placed on Puss, Junior’s, little toe the 
ring, and after that he said good-by and mounted his 
horse and rode away. 

Well, by and by he came to a great cave where sat 
the giant called Redeye, and, oh dear me, he was a 
wicked-looking giant. His hands were as big as palm- 
leaf fans, and his feet as long as rowboats, and his legs 
as long as a telegraph-pole, and his eyes as large as 
plates, and his mouth as large as a shark’s, and in his 
right hand he held a club full of sharp-pointed nails, 
and in his left hand he grasped a knife as big as a 
scythe. 

Now it’s too bad I must stop just at this exciting 
part, for I know you are almost as frightened as Puss 
was; but there is no more room in this story for 
another word, but I’ll promise you one thing, and 
that is I won’t let that dreadful giant hurt little 
Puss, Junior 


THE TREMENDOUS GIANT 


N OW when the great, big tremendous giant I told 
you about in the last story saw Puss, Junior, 
he made a dreadful sound, and all the leaves fell off 
the trees and the great cave echoed like a drum. But 
Puss wasn’t afraid: He was quite used to giants, 
you know, for had he not rescued the little yellow 
hen that laid the golden eggs from the Giant of the 
Beanstalk. So he answered the giant’s roar with as 
loud a voice as he could muster, but it only sounded 
like a whisper beside the sound the giant made. 

“Ho-ho, he-he, and a pot of gold, 

And a barrel of wine so mellow and old. 

And a meerschaum pipe are the things for me. 

So take care. Sir Cat. Ho-ho, he-he!” 

“Ho-ho, ha-ha! How brave are you. 

But look out, my friend, or I’ll bite you in two. 

Or your tail right off, though it make me cough.” 

And this made Puss so angry, because he thought 
the giant was making fun of him, you know, that he 
pricked the giant’s great leg with the tip of his 
62 


THE TREMENDOUS GIANT 


sword. And then that giant gave a terrible yell, 
for I guess it hurt worse than a mosquito bite. And 
then he raised his great club and swung it around in 



the air, and the end of it caught on a limb of the tree 
and broke it off. 

“See what I can do?” said the giant, with a horrible 
grin. 

“Oh, let’s be friends,” said Puss. “I didn’t come 
here to fight. I’m seeking adventure and this is my 
63 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 


first trip to Fairy-land.” And this so pleased the 
giant that he began to smile, and then he began to 
laugh, and the tears rolled down his cheeks and made 
a little brook that ran off down the side of the hill 
until it reached the great big bounding blue ocean. 
Wasn’t that wonderful 

“ Come into my cave and I’ll show you some strange 
things,” said the giant. 

“Will you promise not to hurt me?” asked Puss. 

“I won’t harm a hair on your body,” said the 
giant. “Here’s my hand,” and he stretched it out; 
and, would you believe it? his fingers went around 
Puss, Junior’s, waist about three times and maybe 
more. And then the giant carried Puss into his cave 
and sat him down in his big arm-chair, which was 
almost as big as the summerhouse on my grand- 
mother’s front lawn. 

“Now, little cat, I will show you my diamond ring,” 
and the giant took out of his bureau drawer a ring 
which was as big around as a saucer and the diamond 
as big as a cup. 

And then he took his watch out of his pocket, 
and, goodness me! it was as big as a dishpan and it 
ticked so loud that Puss couldn’t hear himself think. 
And just then there came a knocking at the door of 
the cave. 

And in the next story you shall hear who was there. 


THE FORTUNE-TELLER 

“Tl^HO’S that?” roared the giant when he heard 
▼ y the knocking on his front door, as I told you 
in the last story, and then he opened the door, and 
who do you suppose was standing outside? A little 
dwarf all dressed in red, with a high peaked hat upon 
his head. 

“Wliat do you want?” asked the giant, for he 
didn’t like the dwarf, and neither did the dwarf like 
the giant, you know. 

And then Puss ran out to see what was the matter, 
and the httle dwarf said, “Come here. Puss, Junior; 
I want to whisper in your ear.” And when the giant 
heard this he made a grab for Puss, but the little cat 
was too quick for him and darted out of the cave. 
And it was a good thing he did, for the giant really 
was a bad man and very likely would have done him 
some harm, and that was the reason the little dwarf 
had come after Puss. 

“Come with me,” said the dwarf, and he led Puss 
down the hillside till they came to a great hollow tree. 
“This is my home,” said the dwarf, and he opened 

a little secret door in the side of the old tree and 
65 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY LAND 


beckoned Puss to follow him. And then he closed the 
door, and just then they heard a dreadful noise of 
breaking branches, and the wicked giant came tearing 



through the forest. But he couldn’t find them, for 
they were safely inside the old hollow tree arid the 
door didn’t show the least little bit. 

Well, pretty soon the giant went away, so Puss said 
good-by to the little dwarf and went upon his way. 
And by and by he came to a little cottage where lived 



THE FORTUNE-TELLER 


an old woman who told fortunes. So Puss went in 
and asked her to tell him what was going to happen 
to him. So the old woman said, “ Give me your right 
forepaw and I’ll tell you. 

“You will live to be a very old cat, and some day 
you will have a lot of money. Your father is very 
famous and lives in a great castle with a moat around 
it. And his master is a good lord and his lady a lovely 
woman.” 

“You are right,” said Puss. “You are indeed a 
wonderful fortune-teller.” And he gave her a gold 
piece and then he went upon his way; and by and by 
he heard the sound of wheels, and, looking back, he 
saw a splendid coach approaching drawn by four milk- 
white horses with gold harness and waving plumes. 

And when the coach came up, the driver drew in his 
steeds and the lady who was riding inside called out: 

“ Come here, little Puss in Boots.” So Puss stepped 
up to the side of the coach and the lady asked him to 
get inside, “for,” said she, “it is dusty traveling on 
the road.” 

And after they had gone for maybe a mile or more 
a band of robbers rushed out of the woods and sur- 
rounded the coach, and then they took the lovely 
lady and Puss prisoners and carried them off to their 
hiding-place in the woods. 

And in the next story you shall hear something 
very strange, but you must wait until then, for I 
don’t know myself just now how Puss and the lovely 
lady will ever be able to escape. 

67 


PUSS MAKES A RESCUE 



OU remember in the last story that Puss and the 


A lovely lady who was riding in her coach were 
made prisoners by the robbers. Well, those wicked 
robbers led them deep into the forest, and by and by, 
after a long time, they came to the place where the 
robbers lived. And, oh dear me ! wasn’t it a dread- 
ful, lonely place. There was a great high wall all 
around the old castle, and the robbers took the lovely 
lady and locked her in a room and put Puss down in 
the cellar. And after that they sat around their 
table and drank and smoked and made merry, for 
they knew they would get a great ransom for her and 


Puss. 


Well, after a little while Puss heard a tiny voice 
say to him; 


“Though I’m but a little mouse 
Living in the robbers’ house, 

I can help you to be free. 

If you’ll leave it all to me.” 


And then a little gray mouse crept out and stood 
before him. “Follow me,’^ she said; and when she 
reached the door she nibbled away the wooden lock. 


68 


PUSS MAKES A RESCUE 


And then he and the little mouse crept up-stairs to the 
room where the lovely lady was, and the little mouse 
nibbled the lock on the door and Puss pushed it open. 



and then he and the lovely lady tiptoed down the 
stairs and out into the great forest, only, of course, 
they first thanked the kind little mouse for all she had 
done for them. 

And, oh, my! wasn’t it dark in that great forest, 
for it was night-time, you know, and the moon hardly 
shone through the thick tree-tops. But by and by 
they saw a little light ahead, and pretty soon they 
came to the cottage of an old wood-cutter; but he 
was so fast asleep that he didn’t wake up until Puss 
knocked on his door with a big stick. 

69 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 

And when the wood-cutter saw the lovely lady he 
said: 

“My Princess, what brings you here?*’ And when 
she told him what had happened he made a soft bed 
for her to lie on, and the next morning he took them 
to her castle. 

And when the lovely lady’s father, who was a king, 
you know, heard what had happened and how Puss, 
Junior, with the aid of the kind little mouse had saved 
his daughter, he promised to give Puss a small kingdom 
to rule over, for not far from there was a place where 
there were many fairy cats. But Puss said he must 
be on his way, for he was a traveler, and a traveler, you 
know, may not linger long in one place. So he said 
good-by and started off, and by and by he came to a 
great lake where lived a water sprite. And all the 
fishes were her subjects and she ruled them wisely. 

And when one of her fishes saw Puss standing on 
the beach, he brought over a little boat and took 
Puss to the island in the middle of the lake where the 
water sprite had her castle. 

And in the next story you shall hear what Puss did 
on the island in the middle of the beautiful lake. 


THE WATER SPRITE 


W ELL, as soon as Puss, Junior, landed on the 
water sprite’s island, as I mentioned in the 
last story, the little fish swam away with the boat and 
Puss was left all alone on the beach. But he wasn’t 
afraid, for he knew the water sprite was a good fairy. 
So he set out to find her castle, and by and by he saw 
it in the distance. And, oh, wasn’t it a pretty one! 
It was made of glass and shone like diamonds in the 
sun. 

And when he came closer he saw that a moat led 
from the lake right up to the castle walls, and as he 
stood on the bank waiting for some one to speak to 
him, the bridge, which was lifted up at the farther 
end, was lowered, and he heard a voice say, “Cross 
over. Sir Cat!” 

So Puss did as he was bid and pretty soon he stood 
at the gates at the farther end, and then, all of a 
sudden, they swung open, and the lovely water 
sprite herself stood before him. 

“Welcome, little Puss, Junior,” she said. “I’m 
going out for a ride in n^y turtlemobile. Won’t you 
come with me?” So Puss jumped into her strange 
6 71 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY LAND 

boat, for it was really a turtle, you know, with seats 
on his back, and then away they went down the silver 
moat until they came to the big lake. And then, all 



of a sudden, they noticed a band of fairies on the bank 
running back and forth in a most excited manner. 

“What can be the matter?” asked the lovely 
water sprite. “Hurry, Chauffeur Billy Bullfrog! 
I must find out what is causing so much disturbance.” 
I didn’t think to tell you before that she had a bull- 
frog for a chauffeur; and he was a very funny-looking 
72 


THE WATER SPRITE 


frog, too, and every once in a while he would turn 
around and wink at Puss, Junior. 

“Oh, your Majesty,” cried the fairies as the water 
sprite landed on the mossy bank, “our enemy the 
beetles is invading our woods.” 

“Where is Lionel and his fairy lancers?” 

“They are guarding the glen, your Majesty,” 
answered the fairies. “But one of his couriers says he 
fears Lionel will not be able to hold out.” 

For an instant the water sprite was at a loss to 
know what was best to do. “Why not ask the 
captain of the blue dragon-flies to help us?” said 
Puss, Junior. 

“The very thing,” cried the water sprite, and, 
jumping into her turtlemobile with Puss, she in- 
structed Chauffeur Billy Bullfrog to set out at once 
for the island where the blue dragon-flies had their 
home. In less time than I can tell it to you Captain 
Blue Bottle, for that was the name of the blue 
dragon-fly captain, summoned his lancers and set 
out to fight with the hostile beetles. And then a 
great battle commenced, and the air was full of whir- 
ring wings, and pretty soon brave Lionel and his 
lancers, with the help of Captain Blue Bottle’s 
dragons, routed the beetles and the fight was over. 

And after that Puss set out once more upon his 
journey of adventure and in the next story you shall 
hear what happened. 


THE THREE BEARS 


Y OU remember in the last story I told you about 
a battle between the fairies and the beetles 
and how Puss took a ride in the turtlemobile with 
the lovely water sprite. ' 

Well, after he had gone for maybe a mile, he came 
to a dead tree where sat a great black raven. 

“Good morrow. Sir Cat,” cried the bird, and then 
he flew down and asked Puss where he had got his 
beautiful gold feather, the one, you remember, the 
snow-white duck had given him. 

“Is it a charm that will turn away evil?” 

“Yes, Sir Raven,” replied Puss, Junior, “and I 
also have my trusty sword for him who dares molest 
me!” You see, Puss was using big words, but that 
is the way they talk in Fairy-land, you know. 

“I would that I had that beautiful feather,” said 
the raven, and he looked at it longingly with his 
little black eyes. 

“I would not part with it,” answered Puss, and 
then, all of a sudden, that raven darted at Puss and 
tried to pull the golden feather out of his cap. But 

fuss wa3 too quick for him, for he drew his sword, 
74 


THE THREE BEARS 


and then of course that wicked raven was afraid to 
come near him. 

“I think you are a robber,” said Puss, with an angry 
look in his eyes, for Puss had a temper, let me tell 



you, and it made him provoked to have the raven try 
to steal his golden feather. 

And then, all of a sudden, three bears came out of 
the wood, and one was a great big bear, and the next 
one was a middling-sized bear, but the third was 
only a little bit of a bear. Oh, my, yes ! He wasn’t 
much larger than a very small dog. 

“Fly away. Sir Raven,” said the great big tre- 
mendous bear, “and fly so far that we will never see 
75 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY LAND 


you again.” And this so frightened the wicked black 
bird that he took to his wings and was off like a 
rocket. And then the tiny bear went up to Puss and 
said: 

“ Come home with us, for we have a nice little house 
with three nice rooms and three nice beds, and maybe 
we can find a place for you to sleep.” For it was 
growing dark by this time, you know, and the woods 
were almost as black as the wicked raven who had 
just fiown away. 

So Puss set off with the three bears, and by and by 
they came to a nice little house with a red chimney 
on the roof and a rose-vine over the front door. 

“Come in,” said the middling-sized bear, and he 
turned the knob and opened the door, and they went 
inside. 

And wasn’t it nice? Supper was all on the table. 
There was a great big bowl for the great big bear, and 
a middling-sized bowl for the next big bear, and a 
little cup for the tiny bear, and all three were filled 
with honey, for bears love honey, you know, just as 
much as, and maybe more than, boys and girls love 
candy. 

And in the next story you shall hear what happened 
after that. 


THE FROG KING 


Y OU remember in the last story that Puss, Junior, 
was in the house of the Three Bears. Well, 
after supper, they all sat round a table and played 
tiddledy-winks and when it was time for bed, the 
Great Big Bear said : 

“You can sleep with me. Puss, if you like.” But 
Puss said, “You are so big, I’m afraid you might roll 
on me.” And this made the bear laugh so hard that 
the tears rolled down his cheeks. 

And then the Middling-sized Bear said, “You can 
sleep with me if you wish.” 

But, oh dear me! Puss thought he was much too 
big. 

And then the Teeny Weeny Littlest Bear said, 
“You can sleep with me. Puss, Junior.” 

And so Puss went up with him to his little room and 
was soon fast asleep. And when morning came they 
all had breakfast, and after that Puss started out on 
his travels once more, and after a while he came to a 
place that was very marshy, and right on top of a big 
mound of earth sat an immense bullfrog. And he was 
singing away as loud as he could ; 

77 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY LAND 


“Umpty, umpty, umpty dunk, 

I’m king of this beautiful poivl. 

Oh yes, I am king of every nice thing 
That is near and a little beyond.” 


And as soon as he saw Puss, Junior, he stood up and 
waved a long bullrush. “Welcome, Sir Cat,” he said. 



and then he made a low bow. And I guess he would 
have commenced to sing again only Puss asked him 
what was the name of the kingdom over which he 
ruled. 


78 


THE FROG KING 


“It’s the Kingdom of Sealand,” replied the frog. 
“And not far from here lives a terrible water-snake. 
He is my greatest enemy.” 

And then the Frog King looked at Puss as if he 
were nearly frightened to death just because he had 
spoken out loud about that dreadful snake. 

“Let me help you,” said Puss. “I will take my 
trusty sword and kill this enemy of yours.” 

“Oh, you never could,” answered the Frog; “he is 
very strong and wicked.” 

“Leave that to me,” said Puss. “Only direct me to 
him.” 

So the Frog King told Puss which way to go, and 
after a little while Puss came to the place where the 
terrible water-snake lived. And wasn’t it lucky, he 
was at home, and as soon as he saw Puss he gave a 
dreadful hiss and coiled himself up in a ring, and if 
Puss hadn’t hit him over the head with his sword, 
I’m afraid something dreadful would have happened 
to the little traveler. Well, Puss was about to turn 
away, when the snake lifted up his head and said in a 
very weak voice: 

“Sir Cat, why did you strike me? I never harmed 
you.” 

And in the next story you shall hear what Puss 
replied. 


THE SNAKE PRINCE 


N OW Puss felt very sorry when the snake asked 
him why he had struck him with his sword, 
as I told you in the last story, and for a moment he 
didn’t know what to say. 

And then the snake said, “ I’m not really a snake, 
but a prince who has been turned into this ugly shape 
by a wicked witch.” And then Puss felt dreadfully 
sorry for what he had done, and he turned to the poor 
snake and said: 

“Tell me how I may help you, for I am indeed sad 
to think that I struck you with my sword.” 

“Touch me with your golden feather,” said the 
snake. And would you believe it, as soon as Puss did 
what the snake asked him, that snake turned into a 
handsome prince. 

“Now come with me to my castle,” he said, and 
then he and Puss set out together, and by and by, 
after they had gone for some distance. Puss saw a 
stately castle on a high rock. 

“Ah me,” said the handsome Prince, “I hope 
nothing evil has befallen my parents during my 

absence,” and he ran up the stone steps that led to 
80 


THE SNAKE PRINCE 


the castle and threw open the doors. But, alas! 
there was no one within. All was empty except for 
a little gray mouse that ran across the floor. 

“Stop,’’ cried Puss. “Tell me where my lord and 



lady have gone.?” But the little mouse was so 
frightened that he did not stop, but popped into a 
hole in the wall. So Puss went over and called out, 
“Pray tell me, little gray mouse, where have my 

lord and lady gone.?” And then the little mouse re- 

81 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 


plied, because he was safely inside his house, you 
know, “A band of wicked robbers have carried them 
away for a ransom.’’ And when the handsome Prince 
heard that, he was overcome with grief and threw 
himself down on a couch and wept. 

V Cheer up, my friend,” said Puss. And then he 
turned his little gold ring around his toe three times, 
and, all of a sudden, quicker than a wink, a little fairy 
flew in through the door. 

“What is your wish. Sir Cat.?” she asked. And at 
first Puss was too surprised to reply, until he re- 
membered that the fairy Queen who had given him 
the ring, you know, had told him it was a magic ring 
and if he turned it around his toe three times help 
would come to him. 

“Tell me where the lord and lady of this castle 
are imprisoned.?” said Puss. 

“Come, I will show you,” replied the Fairy, and she 
led Puss and the Prince out of the castle and into the 
forest. And by and by she began to sing: 

“Fairies, fairies, one and all. 

Hasten when ypu hear me call.” 

And then a band of fairies appeared, some on 
butterflies and others on little birds. 

And in the next story you shall hear what happened 
after that. 


BACK TO MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


Y OU remember in the last story that a band of 
fairies came to help Puss and the Prince find 
the King and Queen. Well, just as the fairies appeared 
a great oak-tree spread out two of its limbs like a pair 
of arms, and two of its great roots turned into legs, 
and the next thing that happened was a tremendous 
great giant stood before them. “What may I do to 
help you?” asked Giant Oak-tree, and then all the little 
fairies began to sing: 

“Help us, giant, great and strong. 

The Prince has need of you. 

We are afraid, so lend your aid. 

Bring back his parents true.” 

“I will,” roared Giant Oak-tree, and all the leaves in 
the forest rustled with the sound of his great voice. 

And after that he stretched forth one of his long 
arms and pointed to a little hut that was half hidden 
in the trees. 

And then Puss and the Prince and all the little 

fairies ran fprward, and when they looked into the 
83 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY LAND 


window there sat the King and Queen chained to the 
wall. 

“Now,” said Puss, “I will test the magic of my 
golden feather,” and he pressed it against the lock 



on the door, and in a twinkle of an eye it sprang open. 
And after that he touched the chains that bound the 
King and Queen and in a moment they were free. 
And then they heard a voice that sounded like the 

wind among the leaves. It was the voice of Giant 
84 


BACK TO MOTHER GOOSE LAND 


Oak-tree telling them to hasten away, for he could 
see from his topmost branches the robbers returning. 

And then the fairies changed four of their butter- 
flies into horses so that Puss and the Prince with his 
parents could ride away swiftly, and in less time than 
I can tell it to you they were safely out of the forest 
and on their way home to the castle. 

And the Prince was so grateful to Puss that he gave 
him his purse, and after that Puss said good-by and 
went upon his way. 

“Goodness me,” said Puss to himself, “I must 
get back to Mother Goose Country. Giants and 
fairies and robbers are too much for me.” And he 
looked around to see which road to take. “I will 
leave it to my horse,” he decided, and dropping the 
reins upon the neck of his snow-white horse. Puss let 
him take his own way, and pretty soon they came to a 
bridge that spanned a deep river. 

“Give me your toll,” said the man who kept the 
bridge. 

So Puss opened the purse which he had just re- 
ceived from the Prince, and paid the toll-keeper, and 
then he crossed over, and wasn’t he glad to find him- 
self once more in dear old Mother Goose Land, for 
right in front of him was a post with a sign-board on 
which was written in large letters; 


THIS IS THE ROAD TO BRANBERRY 
CROSS 


THE SANDMAN 


is the road to Branberry Cross. 

^ I want to go there on a snow-white horse, 

For there is no trolley that goes that way, 

So lend me your snow-white horse, I say.” 

But Puss wouldn’t, and I don’t blame him — 
do you? for who do you suppose asked him to? 
It was the Knave of Hearts who stole the tarts, 
and Puss wasn’t going to lend his horse to any- 
body like that, for a thief can never be trusted, you 
know. 

“Go ’way,” said Puss, “you thieving knave.” 
And this made the Knave of Hearts so angry that 
he took one of the tarts and threw it at the snow- 
white horse, and it made a great big red spot on 
his side, for it was a cranberry tart, you see, and 
very juicy. 

And after that Puss rode away, and by and by he 
came to the town of Branberry Cross. And just as 
he was entering the village he heard the sound of 
bells. And then all of a sudden an old woman rode 

by on a horse, and she had rings on her fingers and 

86 


THE SANDMAN 

bells on her toes. And when she saw Puss, Junior, she 
cried : 


“ Why have you come to Branberry Cross, 

Mister Puss, Junior, upon your white horse?” 

“Because he needs a shoe,” said Puss. “Have you 
a smithy in your town?” 

“There’s a smithy down the street 
Who will shoe your horse’s feet, 

With a ticker, tacker, two. 

He will forge for him a shoe. 

Blow the bellows with a blast 
Till the sparks fly thick and fast. 

Ticker, tacker, ticker, two. 

Now your horse has found a shoe.” 

“Thank you, kindly,” said little Puss, Junior, and 
he urged his steed forward, and pretty soon, not so 
very long, he came to the blacksmith shop. And 
after his horse’s shoe was on. Puss rode through the 
village until he came to a sign on which was written, 
“Shut-Eye Town!” And when Puss arrived there 
it was sundown and the Sandman was just getting 
out his bag, for he is the man, you know, who puts 
little children to sleep. 

“Don’t throw any sand in my eyes until I find a 
place for my horse to sleep and a bed for myself,” 
said Puss, with a grin. So the Sandman passed them 
by and Puss went on until he came to a tavern called 
the “Cuddle Inn.” 

7 


87 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 


“Here is just the place,” said Puss, and he gave 
the reins to a stable-boy and told him to give the 
snow-white horse a good supper, and after that Puss 

















hmmm 






went into the Inn and sat down at the supper- 
table. And would you believe it, he was so tired 
that he fell sound asleep. Perhaps the Sandman 
had thrown some sand in Puss, Junior’s, eyes. Who 
knows 


“FORTUNES ARE NEVER FOUND” 


Y OU remember in the last story that Puss, Junior, 
fell asleep in Cuddle Inn, and now I’ll tell you 
what happened when he woke up. 

“What will you have for breakfast. Sir Cat.f^” 
asked the innkeeper, who was a great fat goose. 
And after Puss looked over the bill of fare he ordered 
a nice meal, and when that was finished he wiped his 
whiskers on the snow-white napkin. 

“Are you in search of any oile.?” asked the inn- 
keeper, who seemed very much interested in his pussy- 
cat guest. 

“Does Old Mother Goose live near here?” asked 
Puss, lifting his hat with the golden feather from the 
wooden nail on the wall. 

“To be sure she does,” answered the innkeeper. 
“In yonder wood she has her home.*’ 

“Then I will call on her,” said Puss, “for ’tis many 
months since I have seen the dear old lady.” And 
after that he set out, and by and by he came to a nice 
little cottage, and the first person he saw was Mother 
Goose’s Gander standing outside. And when he 

saw Puss he flapped his wings and made a great 
89 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 


noise, and this, of course, brought Mother Goose 
herself to the door. 

“Little mice and ginger snaps,” exclaimed the old 
lady, “if this isn’t my little friend. Puss in Boots!” 



And she picked him up and gave him a big hug, and 
this made Puss feel so happy that he began to purr 
just the way he used to do when he was a little kitten 
and had never worn red-topped boots nor tr^ivcled 
through Mother Goose and Fairy-land. 



“FORTUNES ARE NEVER FOUND’* 


“And what is my little pussy cat doing?” asked the 
old lady, as she sat down on the bench outside her 
cottage. 

“Oh, I’m seeking my fortune,” replied Puss, 
Junior. 

And then Mother Goose laughed, for she knew that 
any one who was searching for a fortune would never 
find it. “ You must work, little cat,” she said. “ Fort- 
unes are never found, but they are often made!” 
Which is very true, when you come to think of it. 

Well, after Puss had spent nearly the whole day 
with dear Mother Goose, he set out once more on his 
journey, and by and by he met a pretty maid who 
dropped him a courtesy. 

“Where are you going, my pretty maid?” asked 
Puss, with a bow. 

“I’m seeking my fortune. Sir Cat,” she replied. 

“Oh, don’t do that,” said Puss. “Only a few hours 
ago Mother Goose told me one must work for a 
fortune.” And just then a big wagon with yellow 
wheels drove up. 

“Jump in,” said the driver, “and I will take you to 
the city.” So Puss and the pretty maid seated them- 
selves on the front seat with the kind driver and away 
they went. 

And in the next story you shall hear what happened 
after that. 


BRAMBLE-BUSH TOWN 


N OW let me see. What was Puss doing in the 
last story? Oh yes, I remember now, he was 
riding to town in a wagon so brown and the pretty 
young maid with the yellow sunshade was singing a 
song as they rattled along. 

Dear me! Why didn’t I get my typewriter to put 
this in verse, for it rhymes, you know, and if you 
don’t know it, read it over, for a little bird, who was 
sitting on a tree, thought it a very pretty verse, and 
when the pretty maid sang it over again he flew after 
the wagon and sat himself down on the back seat and 
began to sing this song: 

“Over the hills and far away 
I must be flying every day, 

For I’m as free as the breeze that blows. 

Free as the brook that swiftly flows 
Down the hill to the great mill-pond. 

And then away to the sea beyond 

The meadow bright with the morning dew. 

Till it reaches the ocean deep and blue.” 


BRAMBLE-BUSH TOWN 

And then the little bird flew away. Perhaps she 
wanted to find out whether the sparkling brook 
had reached the deep-blue ocean. And perhaps she 



didn’t, for she might have had a nestful of little 
yellow birds, you know, and have gone home to feed 
them. 

Well, pretty soon the wagon in which Puss and the 
pretty maid were riding entered Bramble-bush Town, 
and of course Puss was anxious to see the 
93 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 


Wisest man in all the town. 

Who in the brambles tumbled down 
And scratched out both his big blue eyes. 

And then to every one’s surprise 
He jumped back in the bramble glen 
And quickly scratched them in again. 

And just then up came this wise man. Bui:, oh 
dear me! he looked just like any other man. Why, 
he didn’t look wise at all, and the pretty maid thought 
he looked stupid, so she ran into a hat-shop to buy 
herself a bonnet with a lot of ribbons on it, and Puss 
went the other way, after thanking, of course, the 
man who had so kindly given him a ride, and after a 
little while he came to a baker shop. So he went inside 
to buy a bun, but the baker-man didn’t have any 
left. 

“I’m very sorry. Sir Cat,” he said, “but if you will 
come in this afternoon about five I shall have a fresh 
baking, and then you can buy all you wish.” 

“I can’t wait that long,” said Puss. “I’m on my 
way, and cannot stay, so. Mister Baker-man, good 
day,” and away went Puss. And do you know, I 
think this is the first time I ever heard Puss talk in 
rhyme. Perhaps it was because almost every one in 
Mother Goose Land does, and maybe Puss was 
getting the habit. 


“SING A SONG OF SIXPENCE’’ 


OING a song of sixpence, 

^ A pocket full of rye. 

Four and twenty blackbirds 
Baked in a pie! 

When the pie was opened, 

Birds began to sing. 

Wasn’t that a dainty dish 
To set before a king? 

Well, I just guess it was. And the King said to 
Puss, for the little traveler was in a palace, you see : 

“Won’t you have a blackbird?” 

But of course Puss didn’t know what to do with it. 
He couldn’t eat a live blackbird, you see; and then 
the King began to laugh, for it was his birthday and 
this pie was given him instead of a cake and the 
blackbirds instead of candles. And maybe he wasn’t 
the youngest king you and I ever heard of, for as there 
were only twenty -four blackbirds, of course the King 
could only be twenty-four years old. 

And then one of the King’s servants brought a 
pretty gilt cage for Puss to put his bird in, and each 
one of the guests had a cage, too, to put his bird in, 

and after that the regular feast commenced. But I’m 
95 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY LAND 


not going to tell you what they all had to eat, for it 
will make you so hungry that you will go right over 
to the candy-shop and get an ice-cream cone. 

Well, after the feast was over they all went out 
in the garden, and just as they stepped outside there 
came a dreadful scream from the kitchen garden. 
And what do you suppose had happened? Why, just 
as one of the maids hung up some pretty pink and 
blue handkerchiefs on the clothes-line a blackbird 
flew down and bit off her nose. I suppose he was 
angry to think that some of his brothers and sisters 
had been baked in a pie, but that wasn’t the poor 
maid’s fault, was it? 

So then everybody called for the court physician, 
and when he looked at the maid’s nose he said: 

“ The bird didn’t take off a bit. He just pinched it.” 

“Perhaps he thought it was a cherry,” said Puss, 
with a grin, for the maid’s nose was very red from 
crying, you see. But when you come to think of it, 
she wasn’t crying before the Blackbird came, so how 
could it have been red? So I guess I was right when 
I said the Blackbird pinched her nose for spite. 

Well, after that Puss went into the parlor where the 
Queen was eating bread and honey, and then into the 
counting-house where the Bang was counting money, 
for he wanted to say good-by and to thank them for 
his lovely Blackbird and the gilt cage. And after 
that he went upon his way. 

And in the next story I’ll tell you what the Black- 
bird said. 


96 


THE LITTLE OLD MAN OF THE WOOD 


Y OU remember in the last story that Puss was 
trudging along with the Blackbird in the gilt 
cage. Well, after a little way, not so very far, the 
Blackbird said: 

“ If you will let me out of the cage, I will show you 
some wonderful things.” 

“Will you.J^” said Puss, and he opened the door of the 
cage and out flew the Blackbird, and then he perched 
on Puss, Junior’s, shoulder. “Throw away the cage,” 
said the Blackbird, “it’s a prison,” and then he 
flapped his wings and commenced to sing: 

“Oh, it’s good to be free again. 

With the flowers blooming gay. 

And to follow the sun in his daily run 
Ever and ever away.” 

And then, all of a sudden. Puss and the Blackbird 
came across the Little Old Man of the Wood. He 
was sitting just outside his house, which was a great 
hollow tree. Yes, there he sat smoking his pipe, and 
his great long white beard fell down almost to his 
feet. On his head was a high peaked red hat and his 
97 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 


suit of green was the same color as the leaves on the 
trees. 

“Good morning. Sir Cat and Sir Blackbird,” he 
cried in a high cracked voice. “What brings you to 
me?” 

“I would show my friend the wonders of the forest,” 
said the Blackbird. “He has released me from my 
prison cage, and in return for that I would show him 
our great forest.” 

“That you shall,” replied the Little Old Man of 
the Wood, and he arose and beckoned them to follow. 
And then he led them through a door in the great 
hollow tree and Puss found himself in a beautiful 
country. And wasn’t he surprised, for it seemed 
strange that just through a wooden tree he could 
enter such a wonderful place. 

“This is the Kingdom of the Vegetables,” said the 
Little Old Man of the Wood, and to Puss, Junior’s, 
amazement he saw that all the vegetables were alive. 

There stood a great corn-stalk with the largest ears 
you ever saw. Why, the corn-silk tassel was almost 
as long as the beard on the chin of the Little Old 
Man of the Wood. 

But the ears on that corn-stalk were not like the 
ears on corn you see every day in the fields. Oh my, 
no! They were just like your ears and mine, and 
they could hear the snowflakes falling ’way up at the 
North Pole and the chatter of the monkeys in the 
palm-trees ’way down in the torrid zone. 

“Yes, we have a wonderful kingdom,” said the 
98 


THE LITTLE OLD MAN OF THE WOOD 


Little Old Man of the Wood, and then he took Puss up 
to a cabbage that had a head as big as a giant’s. And 
would you believe it, it had eyes and nose and mouth 
just like any man’s, and then the cabbage said, “I 
want some corned beef for dinner,” and this made Puss 
laugh, for cabbages he had met never ate meat, and 
neither did any that I ever ate, for I never met a 
cabbage except on the dining-table. 

“Oh, the cabbage eats corned beef. 

And the corn drinks lots of milk. 

And, oh, he has a dreadful time 
To comb his beard of silk.” 

And in the next story you shall hear what happened 
after that. 



FLOWER COUNTRY 



ET me see. In the last story a little yellow bird 


^ was singing a funny song about the vegetable 
people in the Kingdom of Vegetables. Well, after he 
had finished he flew down from the top of a tree and 
shook hands with the Blackbird, who was perched on 
Puss, Junior’s, shoulder, for they were old friends, 
you know, and after that the Little Old Man of the 
Wood said to Puss, Junior, “After we have seen the 
Flower Country you can resume your journey of 
adventure.” So he led Puss and the Blackbird 
through an opening in a great hedge and Puss found 
himself in a most beautiful place. The bluebells were 
ringing such lovely chimes, and the sunflowers were 
shining from the blue sky just like dozens of suns in 
our own blue heaven, and the pitcher-plants were 
pouring out delicious lemonade, and the Jack-in-the- 
pulpits were making speeches, and the four-o’clocks 
were striking the hours just like regular clocks, and 
the forget-me-nots were saying, “Don’t forget me! ” 
and the daffy-down-dillies were saying, “We’re not 
daffy, nor are we silly; we’re just happy daffy-down- 


dilly.” 


100 


FLOWER COUNTRY 


“Now, we’ll go back to my house in the old hollow 
tree,” said the Little Old Man of the Wood, and then 
he showed Puss all over his tree-men-dous house, as 



he called it, and you would have been surprised to 
see how large it was. For the halls were in the great 
hollow limbs and the dining-room was up high in the 
big trunk, and all the other rooms were here and 
there and everywhere. 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 


“My, but you have a big house!” said Puss. . “But 
I must be on my way, for he who tarries much too 
long will never finish his journey song.” 

“What song is that.^” asked the Little Old Man of 
the Wood. And then Puss commenced to sing: 

“Oh I’m the cat who has traveled far 
From Mother Goose Land to the Twinkle Star, 

And from there to the Moon of nice green cheese. 
Though I never ate any of it, if you please. 

Over the liills and far away. 

Where little Bo-Peep and her lambkins play. 

And Yankee Doodle rides liis pony. 

With a feather in his cap of macaroni, 

And the Miller who lives by the river Dee 

Who looked upon his pillow and saw a naughty flea. 

And still I must travel, travel far. 

Till I reach a land where heroes are.” 

“Well, I hope you find them. Sir Cat,” said the 
Little Old Man of the AVood, and he bade Puss good- 
by; and then Puss went down the forest path wdth 
the Blackbird on his shoulder, and by and by he came 
to the end of the forest, so he followed the King’s 
highway until he came to a sign-post saying: 

TO HERO-LAND! " 

And in the next story you shall hear what a wonder- 
ful adventure he had in that new land. 


SIR LAUNCELOT 


I N the last story we left little Puss, Junior, enter- 
ing Hero-land, with his friend, the Blaekbird, 
perehed upon his shoulder and his trusty sword by 
his side. And I’m so glad that Puss had a sword and 
knew how to use it, for I’m sure all the heroes in 
Hero-land had swords. 

Well, by and by Puss came to a great castle, and 
when he entered, he found himself in a large room in 
the center of which was a round table. And sitting 
around the table were many famous knights. It was 
the Court of King Arthur, you know, and as soon as 
Kang Arthur saw Puss, Junior, he arose and said: 

“Welcome, comrade, to our court,” for good King 
Arthur had often heard how Puss had befriended 
many a poor person and helped the aged and needy. 
And as this was what each knight pledged himself to 
do, they felt that Puss was really a knight. And, 
anyway, there was one knight among them who knew 
Puss, and he was none other than the famous Sir 
Launcelot, who once had met Puss in the forest and 
had taken him upon his horse and had had many 
adventures with him. 

8 


103 



PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 

“Not far from here is a wicked lord,” said King 
Arthur, “who has made captive a lovely maiden. 
Who will pledge himself to rescue her?” And then 


Sir Launcelot arose, and so did Puss. “ I will under- 
take it,” said the good knight. “And so will I,” * 
cried little Puss, Junior. “And I will go with you 
both,” said the Blackbird. 

And then Sir Launcelot got out his great charger 

and mounted liim, and Puss climbed up behind, and 
104 


SIR LAUNCELOT 


away they went on their adventure. And by and by 
they came to the great gloomy castle of the wicked 
lord. 

“Now let me offer a suggestion,” said the Black- 
bird. “ I will fly up to yonder turret window and look 
through the grating. It may happen that the lovely 
lady is locked in the turret chamber.” And as this 
seemed a good idea to Sir Launcelot, the Blackbird 
spread his wings and pretty soon he alighted on the 
stone ledge. And then he peeked through the gra- 
tings. But it was so dark inside that for some time he 
could see nothing; but in a little while he heard a 
sigh, and then a sweet voice said: “Woe is me! Who 
will release me from my prison?” 

“I will help you,” said the Blackbird, and then he 
squeezed himself through the gratings and flew over 
to where the unhappy maiden sat. And when he 
told her that Sir Launcelot and Puss, Junior, were 
outside and that they were determined to rescue her 
she dried her eyes and said : 

“Oh, little Blackbird, tell the noble Sir Launcelot 
and the brave Puss, Junior, that I will light a little 
candle in the church for them each day when I am 
free.” And then she laughed a low sweet laugh, for 
she was happy to think that she would soon be free. 

And in the next story you shall hear what happened 
after that. 


PUSS GIVES THE SIGNAL 



AIT a minute until I remember where we left 


V V off in the last story. Oh yes, now I know. 
It was when the Blackbird whispered to the lovely 
maiden, who was a prisoner in the wicked lord’s 
castle, that Puss, Junior, and the brave Sir Launcelot 
. were outside the walls, determined to rescue her. 

“We must wait until it is dark,” said the Blackbird. 
“ But keep up a brave heart !” And then he flew down 
to the woods where Sir Launcelot and Puss were 
hiding. 

“I have a plan,” said the Blackbird. “I will carry 
in my bill a ball of twine and give it to the captive 
maiden. She can then hold one end of the string and 
let the ball drop to the ground. We will then tie a 
strong rope to the string and she can pull it up, and 
then Puss, Junior, who is a good climber, can crawl 
up the rope and saw the iron gratings with a file.” 

“Ha-ha!” exclaimed the noble Sir Launcelot, 
“but where is the rope and twine, and who will carry 
the fair maiden down?” And he looked at Puss and 
added, “Will you agree to bring her safely down in 
your arms, Sir Cat?” 


m 


PUSS GIVES THE SIGNAL 


“I will try,” said little Puss, Junior, bravely, 
although he felt it would be too great a task, and so 
do I, and so do you, unless you’re a big, strong man. 



“Now let me suggest a plan,” said the good Sir 
Launcelot. 

“Puss and I will call on yonder wicked lord and 
ask him to give us lodgings for the night. And then 
when all is still we will break open the door and 
escape with the maiden. And then he told the 
Blackbird to fly back and tell the maiden to be ready 
at midnight. And when the bird had flown away 
he and Puss set out for the castle, and pretty soon 

thev reached the high wall that surrounded the great 
107 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY LAND 


courtyard. And then Sir Launcelot knocked upon the 
gate with the hilt of his sword. 

“Who stands without.^’* asked a gruff voice. 

“Sir Launcelot of the Lake and his comrade. Puss 
in Boots, Junior,’* replied the knight in a stern voice. 
And then the gate swung slowly open and Sir Launce- 
lot and Puss entered, and pretty soon the wicked 
lord himself appeared. And, oh dear me! but he was 
a big, powerful man. He was even larger than Sir 
Launcelot and he had an evil face and his eyes were 
black and cruel. 

“May we have lodgings for the night?” asked Sir 
Launcelot, and the wicked lord answered that they 
might, and then he took them into the great dining- 
hall and they all had supper together, and after that 
they sat around a big fire and smoked, all but Puss. 
He didn’t smoke, of course, but sat and purred just to 
make the wicked lord think he was an ordinary sort 
of a cat dressed up in boots. And when it grew late 
Sir Launcelot arose and asked that he be shown to 
his room. And then he and Puss followed the page 
up the velvet stairs, and when they reached their 
room they locked the door; and then Puss hung his 
cap with the gold feather in it outside the window so 
that the Blackbird would see it and fly up to them. 

And in the next story you shall hear of an exciting 


rescue. 


THE PORTER WAEHS UP 


I N the last story, you remember, little Puss, Junior, 
hung his cap with the gold feather outside the 
window. The moon was shining brightly and the 
feather glittered like the flame of a torch, and pretty 
soon the Blackbird saw it and flew up to the window. 

It was very still, for it was midnight, and off in the 
distance came the faint sound of a bell. 

“Now is the time,” said Sir Launcelot, and he 
opened the door very softly, while the Blackbird 
walked on tiptoe in front to show the way. Of course 
Puss and the Blackbird didn’t make a bit of noise, 
but the great boots of Sir Launcelot made the stairs 
creak as he mounted them one by one, and Puss and 
the Blackbird whispered, “Be careful, noble knight!” 
But he only smiled and pressed his hand to his sword, 
for he wasn’t afraid of anything, you know. 

Well, by and by they came to the turret chamber 
where the lovely maiden was imprisoned and Sir 
Launcelot pressed his great shoulder against the door, 
but, oh dear me! it wouldn’t open, for the iron bolt 
inside was even stronger than the great shoulder of 

Sir Launcelot. And I suppose you will think it 
109 


‘ PUSS IN BOOTS, JR.i IN FAIRY-LAND 

strange that the lovely maiden didn’t get up and pull 
the bolt back so that the door would open; but you 
won’t think it strange when I tell you she was chained 



to her bed and could only move a little way, for the 
chain wasn’t long, you know. 

I will fly around and enter her vdndow and draw 
back the bolt,” said the Blackbird, and away he went. 
But, oh dear and oh dear! his bill wasn’t strong 
enough to pull that great heavy bolt even the least 
little bit, so he came back and told Puss to try 
and see what he could do. So brave little Puss, 


THE PORTER WAKES UP 


Junior, jumped up on the window above the staircase 
and crawled around, oh, so carefully, on a narrow 
ledge, until he came to the wdndow of the maiden’s 
room. And then he squeezed through the iron bars. 
And after a great deal of hard work he pushed back 
the bolt and Sir Launcelot entered. And then he 
took his great sword and broke the chain in two, and 
after that they listened at the head of the stairway; 
and when they thought it was still again, for Puss 
had heard a little noise down below, they all tiptoed 
dowm the stairs and at last they reached the great 
front door. 

But, oh dear, and oh dear again ! there they saw a 
great big, tremendous porter fast asleep, with his club 
by his side. And how he was snoring! Why, it 
sounded like a thunder-storm, but without any rain, 
of course! 

Well, Sir Launcelot opened the door very carefully, 
and then Puss and the maiden stepped outside, and 
the Blackbird, too, and I guess everything would 
have gone along nicely if the door hadn’t slipped out 
of Sir Launcelot’s fingers and closed with a slam. 
And this of course woke up the porter, who gave a 
great yell and picked up his elub and started after 
Puss, Junior, and his frien/ls. 

And next time I’ll tell you what happened after 
that. 


THE ESCAPE 


I T’S too bad that the door of the wicked lord’s 
castle had to slam and wake the great big 
porter, as I told you in the last story. But Puss, 
Junior, and Sir Launcelot didn’t wait a minute. No 
indeed! That noble knight picked up the lovely 
maiden in his arms and ran out of the courtyard, 
with Puss, Junior, at his heels, and pretty soon they 
came to the drawbridge. But, oh dear me! it was 
pulled up high and there was no way to get across the 
deep moat. And by this time every one in the castle 
was awake and the wicked lord himself was running 
toward them. So Sir Launcelot pulled out his sword 
and met the wicked lord with a tremendous blow. 
But the wicked lord’s armor was strong, and he only 
laughed and struck at Sir Launcelot, and their swords 
clashed together and sparks, like stars, flew all around. 

And then from the castle came all the retainers, 
with swords and daggers, and when Puss saw them 
he let down the drawbridge, and the maiden ran 
across, and Sir Launcelot slowly retreated before the 
wicked lord and his hirelings until he was upon the 

other side of the moat, and then he gave the wicked 
112 


THE ESCAPE 


lord such a blow that he fell to the ground; and as his 
retainers stooped to pick him up, the noble Sir 
Launcelot lifted the maiden in his arms and fled into 



the wood, followed by Puss, Junior, and the little 
Blackbird. 

And when they were safe among the trees the 
good knight set the maiden down and looked about 
him. But I guess the wicked lord was unable to 
follow, on account of the great blow Sir Launcelot had 
given him; and after that the maiden said: “Not far 
from here lies the castle of my father. I will show 
you the way if you will be so good as to take me there.” 
So the good knight placed her upon his horse, and after 
he and Puss had also mounted they rode away, and 
113 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 


by and by they came to a stately castle. And when 
the maiden’s father saw them coming he ran out and 
greeted them, for he had mourned for her for many 
days. 

And didn’t they have a wonderful feast that night? 
Well, you should have been there. Puss sat at the 
table, and every time a knight or a lady spoke to him 
they said, “Sir Cat!” And the Blackbird had a place 
at the table, too, and ate raisins and crumbs till he 
could eat no more. 

And when the feast was nearly over. Puss, Junior, 
stood up on his chair and said : 

“Noble lords and ladies, 

Now harken unto me, 

And I will tell you how we set 
The lovely maiden free!” 

And then he bowed to Sir Launcelot and the 
Blackbird, and began again: 

“My friend, the Blackbird, found the room 
Wherein this maiden wfept. 

And then along a narrow ledge 
On all four paws I crept. 

And then I jumped upon the floor 
And pushed the bolt back on the door.” 


THE DUNGEON 


Y OU remember in the last story we left off just 
as Puss, Junior, finished speaking to the noble 
lords and ladies. Well, as soon as the feast was over. 
Sir Launcelot bid them all good-by and returned to 
the Court of King Arthur, and little Puss, Junior, 
and his friend, the Blackbird, went upon their way, 
and by and by they came to a great pine-tree. It was 
withered and old, and its bare branches stretched up 
to the sky and creaked a sad refrain as the wind 
whistled through the forest. And right at the foot of 
the old dead pine-tree sat the queerest-looking little 
dwarf you ever saw. 

He had a great hump upon his back, and his little 
red coat hunched up behind and his breeches were 
tucked into the tops of his high boots, and his cap 
was green, with a long, high peak to it. 

What can I do for you?” asked the dwarf, and 
then he began to sing: 

“Oh, ’way down deep below the ground 
A wondrous fortune I have found : 

Gold and silver, diamonds, too, 

And rubies of a scarlet hue. 

Come, I will show you what I’ve found 
In my dungeon underneath the ground,” 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY LAND 


“Have a care,” whispered the Blackbird. “I do 
not like the dwarf’s looks.” But Puss wasn’t afraid. 
Oh my, no! He wasn’t afraid of anything, and that is 
the reason, I guess, he had so many exciting ad- 



ventures. And I’m glad he was so b^*ave, for if he 
hadn’t been these stories would have ended long ago! 

Well, anyway, the dwarf turned and opened a 
little door in the old dead pine-tree and motioned to 
Puss and the Blackbird to follow. And after they had 
gone down a steep pair of winding stone steps they 
found themselves in a great cavern dimly lighted with 
candles. 

“ Over here is a great chest full of diamonds. Come 
and see them.” So Puss and the Blackbird went 

over to look at the diamonds, when, all of a sudden, 

;i6 


THE DUNGEON 


just as they were leaning over the great chest, out 
went all the candles, leaving them in total darkness. 
And then a low, deep voice said: 

“Underneath the ground you are. 

Far from moon or sun or star; 

Everlasting darkness here, 

Never more will light appear.” 

Wasn’t that a dreadful thing to hear.f^ And the 
Blackbird was so frightened that he turned pale, 
which is a strange thing for a blackbird to do. 

“Goodness me!” said Puss, aloud, and the Black- 
bird fluttered over and sat on his shoulder. “Now we 
are in a fix.” And then what do you suppose Puss 
did? Why, he turned around three times the little 
magic gold ring he wore on his toe, and in a jiffy the 
candles were lighted and the little dwarf said, “Where 
did you get that ring?” And then he tried to take it 
from Puss, but whether he did or not you must wait 
to hear in the next story. 


THE GREAT EGG 

I N the last story, you remember, Puss, Junior, 
and the Blackbird were in the cavern of the little 
dwarf, ’way down deep underground, and when the 
lights went out Puss turned his magic ring around 
three times and then the lights appeared. And, oh 
yes! after that the dwarf tried to steal the ring 
from Puss. I suppose he thought it would be a fine 
thing for him to have a ring like that. But he didn’t 
get it. For Puss wouldn’t have parted with that ring 
for a fortune, let me tell you. And when that wicked 
dwarf tried to pull it away from Puss, he drew his 
sword and said: 

“Have a care, dwarf, lest I kill you with my trusty 
blade.” And you can well imagine the dwarf stepped 
out of the way, for he didn’t want to be killed any 
more than you or I do. 

“And now for your treachery,” cried Puss, “give me 
a bagful of your diamonds!” And because the dwarf 
didn’t go at once to get them Puss gave him a prick 
with the point of his sword, and then you should havo 

seen how fast that dwarf went. And when he had 
118 



THE GREAT EGG 

filled a little sajck full of the precious stones, he handed 
them to Puss. 

“Now lead us up to earth,” and Puss gave the dwarf 
another prick with the point of his sword to make him 


obey quickly. Well, pretty soon after that Puss and 
the Blackbird walked out of the little door in the old 
dead pine-tree, and you can well imagine they were 
glad once more to see the bright sunshine. 

“Now let me give you a piece of advice,” said 
Puss to the dwarf. “ Don’t you ever try to hurt people 
9 119 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY LAND 


who trust you, for I believe, even if I hadn’t had my 
magic ring, that the good fairies in the forest would 
have saved me from you, for Good always conquers 
Evil.” And then Puss strode away, and by and by 
he and the Blackbird came to a great, tremendous egg 
lying imder a tree. 

“Well, if that isn’t the largest egg I ever saw!” 
cried the Blackbird. “It must have been a giant 
bird who laid it!” and he flew off Puss, Junior’s, 
shoulder and alighted on the great egg. And then, 
all of a sudden, it opened with a click and in fell the 
Blackbird, and then it closed again with a snap, and 
of course the poor Blackbird was inside. Yes, in- 
deed! He was a prisoner. 

“Oh dear, oh dear!” said Puss, “will trouble never 
end.^” and he ran over to the great egg and tried to 
break it with his sword. But of course he couldn’t, 
for the shell was as hard as iron and thicker than a 
board. 

And then a little bird began to sing: 

“Hold your golden feather 
Underneath the egg. 

Then say, ‘ Tiddle dumpty, 

Mary, Martha, Meg!’ ” 

So Puss did as he was told, although it seemed very 
foolish to say all those names. 

And in the next story I’ll tell you what happened 
after that. 


THE FAIRY DANCE 


I SUPPOSE you have been waiting for me to tell you 
what happened to the great, tremendous egg after 
Puss had repeated the magic verse which the little 
yellow bird had told him to say. Well, this is what 
happened. The great, thick shell parted in the middle 
just as nicely as you please — well, if I must say it, it 
broke in two much better than my egg did this morn- 
ing when I struck it with my knife — and then, of 
course, out jumped the Blackbird — not out of my egg, 
you know, but out of the great big, tremendous egg. 

“My, but I had a narrow escape!’" said the Black- 
bird, and he shook himself and flapped his wings. 
And then he began to sing, but not very well, you 
know, for he had never taken singing lessons: 

“Down in the dell there’s a sweet bluebell, 

. Ting-a-ling, ting-a-ling, ting-a-ling. 

And when the breezes sing the bluebells softly ring, 
Ting-a-ling, a-ling, ling, ling.” 

“Oh, let’s go over where they are,” said Puss, and 
he gave the Blackbird a lump of sugar; and then, of 

course, the Blackbird said, “Come along; follow me,” 
121 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY LAND 


and pretty soon they came to the dell. And, do you 
know, the fairies were having a dance just then. Yes, 
indeed, they were, and some of them were ringing the 



bluebells and the harebells, and some were blowing 
on the horns of the honeysuckle flowers. 

But, oh dear me! just then, all of a sudden, a 
great big, tremendous giant named Troublesome came 

m 


THE FAIRY DANCE 


along, and of course the fairies disappeared, and the 
Blackbird would have flown away, too, only he 
thought too much of Puss to leave him all alone. 

“Ha-ha!” cried the great giant, and he leaned over 
and picked up Puss and sat him on his knee, for he 
had seated himself on a fallen tree, you see. 

“You have no right to pick me up like this,” said 
little Puss, Junior, as bravely as he could, although I 
can tell you he felt dreadfully frightened. 

“Oh, I won’t hurt you!” said the giant, and then 
he put Puss in his pocket and walked away without 
even looking at the Blackbird. Well, after the giant 
had gone for maybe a mile Puss began to think it 
was time for him to get out of the pocket, and I 
suppose you think it strange Puss hadn’t jumped out 
before; but you won’t when I tell you why. You see, 
the giant’s pocket had a flap that buttoned over the 
top, and so, of course. Puss couldn’t undo it from the 
inside. ^ 

Well, pretty soon, the Blackbird flew up behind 
the giant and with his bill unbuttoned the pocket, and 
then Puss jumped out and climbed up a tree so fast 
that the giant only saw the tip of his tail. But that 
was enough, oh dear me, yes! I’m sorty to say, and 
then the giant pulled the tree right out by its roots. 

And in the next story you shall hear what happened 
to Puss. 


THE AIRSHIP 


5 soon as the Giant pulled the tree up by the 



xX roots, as I told you in the last story, Puss, 
Junior, who was up in the top, you remember, 
jumped in the nearest tree, and then that dreadful 
Giant pulled that tree up by the roots; and if Puss 
hadn’t kept on jumping from one tree to another, 
I guess that great, strong giant would have torn up 
the whole forest. 

But suddenly Puss thought of his magic ring, and, 
giving it three turns around his finger — or his little 
toe, I should say — he waited for a moment before 
jumping into another tree, hoping the fairy Queen 
would come to his aid. And she did, let me tell you, 
for just as that awful Giant began to tear up the tree 
by its roots, an airship flew up to where Puss clung 
to the topmost branch and took him away. Yes, 
sir, that airship was big enough for two cats, and 
the pilot, who was a snow-white dove, wasn’t the 
least bit afraid of Puss, Junior. And if you think it 
strange. I’ll tell you why. He was one of the dove 
sailors on the ship with masts of gold and sails of silk 
that Puss once went to sea in, and the little dove 


THE AIRSHIP 


remembered Puss, and so of course he wasn’t afraid 
of him. 

Well, when the Giant found out that Puss had 
escaped, you can imagine how angry he was, and he 
lifted up the great big tree and slammed it down on the * 
ground so hard that it made a great dent in the earth 



so deep that the writer of my geography called it a 
ravine, but what he would have called it if he had 
known how it was made is more than I know. 

And, oh dear me ! I forgot all about the Black- 
bird who had helped Puss, Junior, get out of the 
giant’s pocket in the story before this. Well, he 

wasn’t going to be left behind, so he flew after the 
125 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 

airship and sat down beside Puss, and when the pilot 
dove looked around, he said : 

“Hello, Mr. Blackbird! 

Pray, how do you do? 

You are not the naughty bird 
Who in the garden flew 
And bit the maiden’s pretty nose 
While she was hanging out the clothes?” 

“ No, I’m not,” said the Blackbird. “ It’s my cousin 
who lives in Mother Goose Land.” 

“Glad to hear it,” said the dove pilot, and then he 
steered the airship over to a big mountain on the top 
of which was a beautiful lake almost as blue as the 
sky. 

“Here are where the king fishes live,” said the 
dove. “And the lake is called Kingdom Blue Lake, 
and whenever a royal fish is caught, either in the big 
ocean or in the lakes and streams of the earth, some 
of the king fishes swim down to rule in their places.” 

And then the airship came down to earth and Puss 
got out and stood by the bank and looked into the 
beautiful blue waters' of Kingdom Blue Lake, and 
while he stood there a big fish swam up to the beach. 
On his head was a beautiful gold crown and in his 
right fin a golden scepter. 

And in the next story you shall hear what the King 
of the fishes said to little Puss, Junior. 


THE WICKED SPIDER 


I ’m a king fish, brave and bold. 

And I rule with my scepter and crown of gold. 
And if any fish dare question me 
I’ll send him away to the big blue sea 
Where the sharks and the dolphins and big whales are 
And the angry waters dash on the bar. 

And the rocks where the lighthouse stands so clear 
Will cut liim in two if he swims too near.” 

And after that the King fish waved his scepter and 
took off his gold crown and bowed very politely to 
Puss, Junior. 

“I’m glad to meet you, Puss, Junior,” said his fish 
majesty graciously, “for I have heard much about 
you from a cousin of mine who lives in the silver 
moat that surrounds the castle of my Lord of Carabas, 
where lives your famous father. Puss in Boots.” 

“And how is my dear father.?” asked Puss, anxious- 
ly, for he had not heard from his fond parent for a 
long time. 

“He sleeps much in the royal garden,” replied the 
King fish, “but he is still active and strong.” And 
then the King of the fishes said good-by and swam 
127 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY LAND 


away to his kingdom deep down in the beautiful blue 
lake. 

And after that Puss thanked the dove pilot for 
carrying him away from the wicked Giant Trouble- 



some, as I told you in the last story, and off he went 
once more upon his two good hind feet with their 
famous red-topped boots, and by and by he came to a 
great big, tremendous spider that was spinning a web 
bigger than a sail on a four-masted schooner! 

Now this was a very wicked spider, for she was 
really a witch, only she took the shape of a spider at 
times, and other times that of a wildcat or a great 
snake, but little Puss, Junior, didn’t know that. Oh 
dear, no. He just thought this spider was a giant 
because it was Fairy-land, you see, and in Fairy-land 

where there are giants and dwarfs, fairies and elves, 
128 


THE WICKED SPIDER 

why shouldn’t there be giant spiders, I should like to 
know? 

“Shall I spin you a worsted helmet?” asked the 
great spider. “You will have need of one if you 
journey farther north, for there live the giants Snow- 
storm and Thunder.” 

So Puss sat down and watched her knit him a 
wonderful helmet. And, oh, how fast went her needle! 
And her little black eyes looked at Puss so fiercely, 
although she tried to hide it, I guess, that he got up 
and said, “I don’t believe I’ll wear the helmet, for 
maybe I won’t go ’way up north where the Thunder- 
storm giants live.” 

“Oh, my dear!” said the spider, “you mustn’t say 
that. Here I’ve taken all the trouble to knit this 
helmet for you.” And just then she finished it and 
then she climbed down from her web and came 
toward him. 

“Let me put it on your head,” she said, and, 
goodness me! before Puss could do anything she 
pulled off his cap with the golden plume in it and 
pushed the helmet down over his head. 

And as soon as it was on Puss felt, oh, so sleepy! 
He heard all sorts of queer noises like far-away bells 
and cooing doves, and in another minute he was fast 
asleep, and if his little friend, the Blackbird, hadn’t 
flown up at that minute there’d be nothing more to 
tell you about Puss in the next story. 


THE LITTLE BLACK MAN 
T me see. We had to leave off in the last story 



^ just when the wicked spider put the helmet 
she had been knitting over the head of little Puss, 
Junior, and, he had fallen asleep, for it was a magic 
knitted helmet, you see. Well, just then up flew the 
Blackbird, and he saw just what was going to happen 
to Puss, for that spider would have taken him up in 
her big web house and eaten him, just like the garden 
spiders do with the poor flies they catch in their 
webs, you know. 

Well, what do you think that brave little Blackbird 
did? He turned the magic ring which Puss wore on his 
little toe around three times, and up came a little 
black man with a long pointed sword, and before that 
dreadful spider could bite Puss that little black man 
cut off her head with a swish of his sword, and down 
fell her great web house and out rolled bags and bags 
of gold. And then this little black man, who was a 
servant of the fairy Qufeen, you know, pulled the 
helmet off Puss, Junior’s, head, and then, of course. 
Puss woke up and rubbed his eyes, for at first he didn’t 
know where he was or what had happened. 


130 


THE LITTLE BLACK MAN 


And when he saw the wicked spider lying on the 
ground without any head on, for her head was as round 
as a marble and had rolled down the hillside until it 



dropped into a lake, Ke knew what a narrow escape 
he had had. 

“Goodness me!” laughed Puss, “I shall never again 
make friends with a spider in Fairy-land.” And he got 
up and put on his cap with the gold feather, and then 
he asked the little black man what he could do to 
repay him. 

“ Nothing, Sir Cat,” he replied. “ I am one of many 
131 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY LAND 


who obey the call of your magic ring,’" and then he 
disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. 

“Little comrade,” said the Blackbird, “if I had not 
come when I did and turned your magic ring, you 
would be as dead as a stone in the Dead Sea!” 

“All’s well that ends well,” laughed Puss. “Come, 
let us proceed upon our journey of adventure, and 
you shall find no more trusty friend than I if danger 
overtakes you.” And after that the two set out once 
more upon their journey, and by and by they came to 
a lowly cottage where a herdsman lived with his 
family. And when Puss knocked on the door a pretty 
red bird, who was in a cage that hung from the roof of 
the fittle porch, began to sing: 

“Mother is out in the meadow to-day; 

Watching the sheep and the lambs at play. 

And father’s away on the windy hill. 

Keeping the cows and the calves from ill; 

But back of the cottage, under a tree. 

Sister and baby boy you’ll see.” 

So Puss left off knocking on the door and turned his 
footsteps to the rear of the cottage, and there, sure 
enough, under a big red-apple tree sat a little girl 
playing with a baby, and when she saw Puss she 
laughed and said, “Here comes the story-book cat!” 

And next time you shall hear what she meant by 
that. 


THE HERDSMAN’S COTTAGE 


Y OU remember in the last story that Puss escaped 
from the wicked giant spider and was now, at 
this very minute as I open this story, bowing politely 
to the little girl under the red-apple tree who had just 
said, “Here comes the story-book cat!” And the 
reason she said it was because right there on her lap 
was the story of Puss in BootSy which she had been 
reading to her little brother. 

And when he saw Puss with red-top boots and cap 
and golden feather, he wanted to play with him at 
once. But the Blackbird, who had flown into the 
apple-tree, suddenly called out: 

“Run, run, run into the cottage. Here comes a 
wolf!” And when they were safely inside and had 
locked the door, the Blackbird peeked out of the 
window and there stood a great gray wolf. 

“Oh dear, oh dear,” cried the little girl, “if mother 
comes home now she will be killed,” and the poor 
child sat down and wept. 

“Never fear,” said the brave Blackbird. “Tell me 
where I may find your father and I will fetch him.” 

And then he flew out of the window right over the head 
133 



PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY LAND 

of the big gray wolf and off for the windy hillside 
where the little girl’s father was herding his cows. 
But it was a long way off, and pretty soon the great 


wolf tried to break in the door; and when he couldn’t 
do that he tried to pull the blinds off the windows, 
and by and by he did pull one of the blinds down, and 
then he looked into the room with his great cruel 
eyes and long red tongue and sharp white teeth. 
But he couldn’t squeeze through, so he started to tear 

off the other blind. And then brave little Puss, Junior, 
134 


THE HERDSMAN’S COTTAGE 


quicker than a wink, crept up to the window and 
thrust his sword into the gray wolf, who gave a great 
howl and jumped down to the ground; and just then 
up came the herdsman with a great club and he hit 
that wicked wolf over the head and killed him. And 
then Puss opened the door and came out with the point 
of his sword all bloody where he had stuck it into the 
wicked wolf. And after that he said good-by and went 
upon his way with his little friend, the Blackbird, 
although the herdsman wanted them both to stay and 
have supper, he was so thankful to them for what they 
had done. 

Well, after many a mile Puss came to a meadow 
through which ran a little narrow path, for on each 
side the grass was high and in some places there were 
clumps of bushes and little low trees. And all of a 
sudden he came to an opening in the ground. It was 
something like a tunnel slanting down into the earth. 

“I wonder where it leads to?” said Puss, Junior. 
But the Blackbird didn’t know any more than you 
do, so he said, “Don’t let’s go in, for who knows what 
danger may be there!” 

“Pooh!” said Puss, Junior, “I’m not afraid,” and 
in he went, and of course the Blackbird followed, for 
he wasn’t really afraid, you know, only he was more 
cautious than Puss. 


10 


PUSS MEETS CINDERELLA AGAIN 


comes into my dungeon?” cried a deep 

▼ V voice, as Puss, Junior, and his little friend, 
the Blackbird, entered the cave I told you about in 
the last story. 

“Let’s get out,” whispered the Blackbird, and he 
started to turn around, when a great big, tremendous 
bat caught him by the wing and would have killed 
him right then and there if Puss hadn’t drawn his 
sword and wounded him. 

And, oh dear me! what a dreadful noise that bat 
made! He filled the cave with screams and yells so 
that Puss couldn’t make himself heard. But at last 
the bat grew quiet, and then Puss pointed his sword 
at him and said: 

“I have heard of you from my father, the famous 
Puss in Boots. You have robbed many a traveler at 
night, and have blown out the candles in the churches, 
and have rung the bells in the steeples. I have a 
mind to kill you, only it is not my way to harm any 
one unless he first harms me.” And then Puss picked 
up the Blackbird, whose wing was sorely hurt, and 

left the cave, and as soon as he reached the open air 
136 


PUSS MEETS CINDERELLA AGAIN 

he looked about him for a place to spend the night, for 
it was late and the shadows were creeping from the 
forest and covering valley and hilltop. And just 
then a coach-and-four drove up, so Puss hailed the 
driver, who drew in his steeds and inquired what was 
the trouble. 

And the Prince who was riding inside the coach put 
his head out and said: “Ah, is this Puss, Junior I 
am the Prince whom Cinderella married. Come home 
with me, little cat, and bring the Blackbird, too.” 
So Puss jumped into the coach and away went the 
four prancing horses, and by and by they came to a 
stately castle. And as soon as they drove up to the 
front door, the lovely Cinderella appeared, and she 
wore little glass slippers that sparkled like diamonds, 
and her eyes were as blue as the sky at midday when 
the sun is shining, and her neck was as white as the 
little fleecy clouds that play hide and seek with the 
big round sun. 

Well, after dinner was over they all sat in the big 
hall and told stories, and Puss related some of his 
adventures, and the one they liked best was about his 
visit to Neptune Island, and the great sea-horses 
who drew the pearly boat in which the great Sea King 
traveled over the ocean. 

“ Ah, I wonder what has become of my Good Gray 
Horse,” sighed little Puss, Junior, as he finished his 
tale. “I left him there, for he wanted to stay awhile 
with the sea-horses and learn how to swim the deep 

blue sea.” And then, all of a sudden, there was a 
137 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 


great neighing in the courtyard, and when the Prince 
and Puss looked out, there stood the Good Gray Horse. 
But how he had come there I cannot tell you now, for 
that is another story, as a wonderful writer named 
Kipling often says. And then Puss ran down the 
stone steps and threw his paws about the neck of his 
faithful steed, who began to sing: 

“I stayed with Neptune’s horses and learned to swim the 
blue, 

The deep-blue bounding ocean that cuts the earth in two. 
And up its billowy mountains and down its watery vales 
I swam with Neptune’s horses, whose long and flowing 
tails 

Swept ever out behind them like foam in wintry gales.” 


THE WEDDING 


I HOPE you remember the song that the Good 
Gray Horse sang just as I ended the last story, 
for if you don’t I can’t make him sing it again, for 
he was so happy at seeing little Puss, Junior, that he 
forgot the words, so the Blackbird told me, and when 
you forget the words of a song, what is the use of 
singing it, I should like to know, and so would Caruso 
and so would the leader of the Salvation Army. 

Well, to go back to our story, and the one before 
this, too, Puss and his little friend, the Blackbird, 
stayed all night at the castle of the Prince who had 
married Cinderella, and when our two little travelers 
left the next morning, Cinderella pinned a red, red 
rose on Puss, Junior’s, coat and gave the Blackbird a 
little silver whistle to blow on when he had a sore 
throat and couldn’t sing. 

And, oh me, oh my! wasn’t the Good Gray Horse 
happy to have Puss, Junior, his little master, again 
on his back. You should have seen him. His heels 
flew out like the piston-rods on a big locomotive and 
his mane fluttered in the breeze like the flags on Fifth 

Avenue when our boys in khaki are marching gaily off 
139 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY LAND 


to war. Well, by and by, after a little while, not so 
very long, they came to a church with a great, high 
steeple where the bell was ringing away as if it were 
Easter Day. 

So Puss said, “ Whoa !” to his Good Gray Horse and 



inquired the reason. “Because it’s the wedding-day 
of the prettiest girl in the village,” answered the little 
old man in black whom Puss had spoken to. 

And then from out of the forest near by came a 
troop of fairies with gifts for the bride, and after them 
140 


THE WEDDING 

a 

came a band of gnomes with precious stones and silver 
and gold, and then they all went inside the church to 
wait for the bride to come down the aisle. So Puss 
dismounted and tied his Good Gray Horse to a tree 
and went inside, with the little Blackbird on his 
shoulder. And when the bride came down the aisle 
Puss stepped forward and said: “Here is a little 
gold ring that I found one day in a buttercup. ’Tis a 
magic ring, my dear. Keep it ever on your finger 
and you will live happily always.’* 

Wasn’t that a pretty thing for Puss to do.^ I think 
it was, and he had now been traveling in Fairy-land 
so long that he knew just what to do. For people in 
Fairy-land are always gi\dng lovely presents to one 
another. Indeed, I think it must be like Xmas there 
every day, only, of course, they don’t have Xmas trees 
and stockings and Santa Claus. For Santa Claus is 
not in Mother Goose Country nor in Fairy-land, but 
in this every-day world of ours where the trolley-cars 
run and the automobiles spin over the roads, and 
where boys and girls read in some of the papers this 
story about Puss in Boots, Junior. 

Well, after that. Puss set off again on his journey 
with his little friend, the Blackbird, perched on the 
head of the Good Gray Horse, who didn’t mind it a 
bit, for the Blackbird didn’t weigh nearly as much as 
a pound of lead, although he may have had on a 
pound of feathers, for all I know. 


THE TERRIBLE DRAGON 


W ELL, to return to the last story, where we left 
little Puss, Junior, atop of the Good Gray 
Horse, and his small friend, the Blackbird, sitting 
between the ears of the faithful steed, our three 
travelers went along for some distance until they 
came to a hazel-bush on which sat two pigeons : 

“Here comes a cat upon a horse. 

With boots and waving plume, 

And a little Blackbird flies before — 

He’s Sir Cat’s trusty groom.” 

“Wbo are you, little pigeons.^” asked Puss, Junior, 
and he reined in his Good Gray Steed. 

*Tf you ask us no questions 
We’ll tell you no lies,” 

Said both little doves 

As they winked their four eyes. 

“What,” exclaimed Puss, Junior, “can you not 
give me an honest answer?” and he waved his sword 
in the air and smiled at the two pigeons, for he didn’t 
mean to frighten them, you know. 

142 


THE TERRIBLE DRAGON 


“ Cut down this hazel-bush, and you shall see some- 
thing strange,*' said the two small doves. 

So Puss gave his sword a swing and cut the hazel- 
bush down, and, would you believe it.^^ there stood in its 



place a little gold coach and the two doves turned 
into two white ponies. And then a fairy looked out 
of the coach window and said, “Puss, Junior, you 
have broken the spell and I can now return to my 
kingdom!’* And then the two little white ponies 

trotted off with the beautiful coach, and the little 
143 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY-LAND 


fairy threw a ring to Puss, which the Blackbird 
picked up with his bill. 

“Keep it,” he said, as he handed it to Puss, Junior. 
“It is a gift of a fairy, and possesses charm, I am 
sure.” So Puss slipped it over his little toe, and then 
off he rode again on his Good Gray Horse, and by and 
by he came to a very lonely place. There was nothing 
but rocks and dead trees, and the road seemed to end 
right there, and the Good Gray Horse began to neigh 
and look about him. He felt very uneasy, you see. 
And then, all of a sudden, a terrible dragon came out 
of a cave in the rocks. And, oh dear me! wasn’t 
his one eye wicked and his mouth large and his 
tongue red! And the Good Gray Horse reared up on 
his hind legs and snorted, and the little Blackbird 
almost turned pale, he was so frightened. Even Puss 
felt just a little wee bit uneasy. But he didn’t show 
it. No, indeed! He drew his sword and said to the 
terrible dragon: 

“If you come a step nearer I’ll cut off your head.” 

“Ha-ha!” laughed the terrible dragon. “Cut off 
my head, will you, little St. George!” And if you 
don’t know why he called Puss “little St. George,” 
I’ll tell you. It was because a brave knight named St. 
George once upon a time killed a dreadful dragon. 

And in the next story you shall hear what happened 
after that. 


THE WONDERFUL MUSICIAN 


I SUPPOSE you have all been impatiently waiting 
to hear what happened after the terrible dragon 
came out of his cave and spoke to Puss, as I men- 
tioned in the last story. 

Well, that dreadful dragon crept over toward the 
Good Gray Horse, and of course Puss, Junior’s, sword 
was too short to reach down, so Puss had to dismount. 
Which was very brave in him, I think. And then he 
stuck his trusty blade into that terrible dragon and the 
little Blackbird flew up and pecked out his eye, and 
then, of course, that terrible beast couldn’t see at all. 
So Puss jumped to one side and pressed his sword into 
a soft place behind the beast’s ear, and then that 
awful dragon rolled over and died. 

And as soon as he was dead the rocks turned into 
green trees and the sandy soil into waving grass and 
the cave of rocks into a beautiful palace, and then a 
lovely princess came out and thanked Puss for what 
he had done, for that dreadful dragon had cast a spell 
over everything; but now that he was dead, peace and 

happiness would reign instead. 

145 


PUSS IN BOOTS, JR., IN FAIRY LAND 


And after that she invited Puss to come into her 
castle, and of course he went. And they had a great 
feast and all the people for miles around came, and 
the Good Gray Horse had all the oats he could eat 
and the Blackbird all he could eat, and then Puss 
set out once more upon his journey of adventure. 

Well, by and by, after many a mile, they came to a 
deep woods, and near by on a fallen tree sat a musician. 
He was playing on his fiddle such sweet music that 
all the animals and birds in the forest stood around 
to hear him. So Puss pulled in his Good Gray Horse, 
but the wonderful musician never stopped playing. 
No, indeed! He seemed to have forgotten that there 
was any one near, although right in front of him sat a 
great big bear, and on the other side stood a lean gray 
wolf, and on the opposite side lay a long snake. 

‘‘Who are you?” asked little Puss, Junior, for the 
music was so sweet that it made even the wild beasts 
tame and quiet. 

And then the wonderful musician looked up and 
said: 

“I am the Spirit of Music, and he who listens to 
my playing forgets himself and is happy.” 

Now wasn’t that a strange answer? But when you 
come to think of it, perhaps it wasn’t so strange, 
after all. And this isn’t true just because little Puss, 
Junior, was in Fairy-land, for music is everywhere if 
we only slop to listen to it. The trees sing when the 
breezes blow and the bluebells ring softly and the 

grasses whisper, even in this every-day world of ours. 

146 


THE WONDERFUL MUSICIAN 


“Let us be going, little master,*’ said the Good Gray 
Horse. “Who can tell what may happen when this 
wonderful musician stops playing? I do not like the 
looks of that lean gray wolf.’* So Puss rode away, 
and in the next book you shall hear what other ad- 
ventures befell him on his journey through Fairy-land. 



THE END 



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